THE PEOPLE'S 



PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK: 



A WOEK ON THE 



■ \ 



BREEDS, BREEDING, REAffiNG, AND GENERAL 
MANAGEMENT OF POULTRY. 



BY 

?M. M. LEWIS. 



ILLUSTRATED WITH OVER ONE HUNDRED ENGRAVINGS. 



NEW YORK: 

THE AMERICAN NEWS COMPANY, 

39 and 41 Chambers Street. 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1871, by 

D. D. T. MOORE, 
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 






Ri ssell Bkothbes, Printers, 17 to 23 Rose St. 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



PAGE. 

Artificial Hen 166 

— Mother, Graves' 167 

Aylesbury Drake 80 

Bantam Cock, Fertile Hen - feathered 

Game 169 

— Hen, Barren Full-feathered Sebright 168 
Bantams, Black-breasted Red Game 57 

— Duck-wing Game 57 

— Golden Sebright 68 

— Pekin or Cochin 67 

— Silver Sebright 67 

Brahma Cock, Dark 30 

— —Light 33 

— Hen, Dark 31 

Capon Operating Table 146 

Caponizing Fowls — Implements used.. 145 

— Position of Fowl on Operating 

Table 146,148 

Chicken Coop and Wire Run 138 

— House, Exterior of Van Winkle's. . 127 

— — Interior of "Van Winkle's 128 

Cochin Cock, Buff. 35 

— Hen, Buff. 36 

Cochins, Pair of Partridge 37 

Coop, A Close 130 

— Barrel. 130 

— Pen 129 

— Pent or Lean-to 129 

— Rat-proof. 129 

— The Tent 129 

Creve-Coeurs, Pair of. 62 

Dominique Cock 66 



PAGE. 

Dorking Cock, White 43 

Dorkings, Pair of Gray 44 

Drake, Aylesbury 80 

— Rouen 81 

Duck, Black Cayuga 85 

— Crested 83 

— House, Rustic 137 

— Tent-house 138 

— Wood or Summer 85 

Ducks, Feed Box for 136 

— Trio of Musk or Brazilian 83 

Egg Carrier, Suspension 178 

— Case, Canvas-covered 178 

— Transportation Case 178 

Eggs, Fertility of. 20 

Farmer Fogy's Fowls 70 

Feed Box for Ducks 136 

Feeding Hopper, A Cheap 132 

— —Double 133 

— — Funnel and Cone of 132 

— —Perfect 131 

— — Scotch 131 

— — Standard Self 132 

— — Stool , 132 

— Troughs (4 Illustrations) 134 

Fountain, Barrel 135 

— Bottle 135 

— Ordinary 135 

Fowl, Points of. 10 

— Vulture-hocks 15 

Frizzled Fowls, Pair of. 41 

Games, Black-Red 53 



IV 



THE PEOPLES PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



PAGE. 

Games, Duck-Wing 55 

— Earl Derby 52 

Geese, Canada or American 89 

— Embden or Bremen 91 

— Toulouse 94 

Goose, White Chinese 95 

Guelders, Pair of 64 

Hamburgs, Pair of Golden-Spangled. . . 46 

— Silver-Spangled 46 

Hen-house, Mount's 118 

Hennery for 200 to 250 fowls 121 

— PlaiiofDouble 113 

Houdans, Pair of. 61 

Incubation — Process illustrated 18, 19 

Incubator, American 159 

— Brindley's 156 

— Geyeliii's 154 

— Graves' 160, 161 

— Schroder's 157 

— Wortley's 158 

La Fleche, Pair of 63 

Leghorns, Pair of 51 

Malays, Pair of. 40 

Nest, Turkey 139 

■ — Wicker-work 140 

— Wooden Box 140 

Poland Cock, Silver-Spangled 47 

— Hen, Silver-Spangled 48 

Polands, Pair of Golden-Spangled 49 

— White Crested Black 50 



PAGE. 

Poultry Fountain, Ordinary 135 

— House and plan for 100 fowls 119 

— Virginia 114,115 

— yards, Van Winkle's 110 

— — Browne's 107, 108 

— — Cheap 115,120 

— — Elevation, plan and yard 122 

— — Fancy '. 125 

— — Interior of Van Winkle's Ill 

— — Octagon 117 

— — Octagonal (3 Illustrations) 123 

— — Poor Man's 106 

— — Bhode Island 114 

— — Rustic 106 

— Mode of Packing 27 

Rouen Drake 81 

Shanghaes, Pair of White 39 

Silky Fowls, Pair of. 69 

Spanish Fowls, White and Black 59 

Trap, Barrel 171 

— Skunk 173 

— Common Box 171 

— for Mink 172 

— Geyelin's Vermin 173 

— Miles' Vermin 174 

Turkey, Bronze 74 

— Crested 77 

— Domestic 73 

— House and nest 139 

— Wild 70 



[FOR GENERAL INDEX SEE PAGE 219.] 



PREFATORY AND INTRODUCTORY. 



In presenting this volume, on the subject of the Breeding, Treatment and 
Management of Fowls to the public, we do so more for the purpose of supply- 
ing a need greatly felt by the American breeder and fancier, the amateur 
and beginner, and placing within the reach of all desiring a knowledge of 
poultry — the breeds best for market purposes and as egg-producers — a 
cheap and reliable guide. Not only shall we be able to present our own 
views and the results of our experience in poultry-rearing, diseases, their 
treatment, etc., in these pages, but the experiences of the most careful, 
scientific and reliable breeders and fanciers in this country, (as given from 
time to time, for the past twenty-one years, through the columns of the 
Agricultural Journals and other periodicals,) and place the same in juxta- 
position with each other, so that they will prove of the utmost value to the 
amateur breeder, as well as to the new beginner. 

We have often wondered why our rural population do not rear fowls 
more universally than they do. It has been demonstrated, beyond a perad- 
venture, that they can be reared with little expense by nearly every house- 
keeper, and can be made to pay an hundred fold on the investment. Not 
only can this be done by our rural population, but also by those living in 
cities and villages. Having had several years' experience in rearing fowls in 
a city, we can speak understandingly on the subject. Fowls can be bred in 
cities and villages equally as well as on the farm — not on so large a scale, 
but with as much, if not more profit to the breeder. It requires but a small 
space to keep a dozen or twenty fowls in either of the localities mentioned; 
and then the pleasure it gives a person to know that with a little judicious 
inanagement he will be able to supply his table with birds of his own rearing, 
and his larder with fresh eggs the year round, can well be imagined. 

Nothing, in our opinion, looks more comfortable, home-like and rural, 
than to see strutting about the premises of a city or village resident, a few 
select and well-kept fowls. Thus we have city and country, as it were, com- 
bined. Undoubtedly some city people, or the male portion of them, will 
object to this theory, on the plea that it would take too much of their 
valuable time to look after the fowls. This objection is easily overcome by 



VI THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

leaving the care of them in the hands of the good housewife, who would 
esteem it a great pleasure to care for the chicks and teach the children how 
to rear them. 

What is there that the farmer produces of quicker sale than eggs and 
poultry ? The prices which he receives therefor are in the main remunera- 
tive, the labor incurred is light and agreeable, and can be performed by the 
junior members of the family. The poultry yard produces food which is 
highly palatable and nutritious at all seasons, and in this respect is hardly 
equaled by any other department of the farm. Is it not worth while, then, to 
bestow more care and skill in managing poultry ? Left to themselves, half 
their products are often wasted, and half the year they are non-layers. In 
winter they need simply warmth, light and sunshine, clean, roomy quarters, 
and plenty of food. Every day they will pay for this. In the summer they 
want range, fresh earth, shade, water, seclusion, and protection from vermin. 
An abundance of eggs and broods of plump chickens, either for market or 
the farmer's table, will result from this care. If it is not feasible to carry on 
the poultry business on a large scale, it should be done on a medium scale ; 
for every farmer should make a couple of hundred dollars' worth of their 
products yearly, independent of fertilizing properties the farm receives in the 
manure saved from the hennery. It is our object, however, to especially 
impress upon the minds of village and city residents the importance and 
advantages of rearing and keeping fowls. We take it for granted that large 
and small farmers know their own interests in this matter. 

In villages there can be no excuse whatever for not breeding fowls, suc- 
cessfully and profitably. In nearly all the small villages in Europe fowls are 
bred by tenants ; their children make pets of them. Wherever there is a 
cottager's family living on potatoes, or better fare, may be seen a little pent- 
house, with nests of straw or hay for the fowls to lay in, and a speculation in 
eggs and chickens sought. It is said Americans are shrewd ; then why 
do they not demonstrate their shrewdness in this matter. We know, from 
past experience, that there is no money lost in keeping and rearing a few 
fowls, and a great deal of pleasure and profit derived from it. Viewing 
the matter in this light, with the hope of inducing our city, village and 
rural population to enter more fully into the breeding and rearing of fowls, 
we present this volume, and submit it, without further introduction, to the 
inspection, and we trust, favorable consideration of the public: 

W. M. L. 

Brooklyn, N. Y„ 1871. 



FOWLS-THEIR GENERAL MANAGEMENT. 



There is a great diversity of opinion in regard to the management of 
fowls, the particular and desirable breeds for all purposes, &c. First of all, 
their 

PROPER CARE AND KEEPING 

is essential to success, for a person may have the best known breeds, and if 
they are not properly cared for they will, in nine cases out of ten, prove a 
failure. Therefore we wish to impress upon the mind of the breeder, in the 
outset, that this needs attention more than purity of breed or superiority of 
kind. As a friend of ours said, " there exists gross neglect of the poor birds 
generally." This neglect is not confined to persons who have no fancy for 
fine poultry, but extends even to many who have the reputation of being fowl 
fanciers. Still, as before stated, for poultry to be remunerative there must 
be good management. In 

STARTING OUT IN THE BUSINESS, 

plans should be well matured and digested before hand. A good, convenient 
poultry house should be properly constructed, sufficiently large to contain 
the number of birds one desires, warm and dry in the winter, well ven- 
tilated, and it should be kept scrupulously clean. The house should not be 
over-crowded, but just large enough. Nothing is made by over-crowding the 
hennery ; on the contrary, it will prove detrimental. The fowls must be fed 
regularly and at stated periods. They must have plenty of pure water at 
hand at all times — this is of as much importance to the health of the brood 
as proper food. If possible, they should also be given, in addition, a plat of 
grass for a run. Place within the hennery a dust heap ; this may consist of 
wood or coal ashes, sand, or dust from the streets. It should be kept under 
cover, so that it will not become drenched with rain or snow, and to it the 
fowls should have access at all times, to dust, and thereby rid them- 
selves, in a great degree, of the numerous parasites which infest them. The 
habit of 

GIVING TOO MUCH POOD, 

to poultry, in a short space of time, is a very bad one. If one notices their 
habits he will perceive that the process of picking up their food under ordi- 



8 THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

nary, or what we may call the natural condition, is a very slow one. "Grain 
by grain is the meal taken, and with the aggregate no small amount of sand, 
pebbles, and the like, all of which, passing into the crop, assist digestion 
greatly. But in the "hen-wife's" mode of feeding poultry, a great heap is 
thrown down, and the birds are allowed to " peg away " at such a rate that 
their crop is filled too rapidly, and the process of assimilation is slow, painful 
and incomplete. No wonder that so many cases of choked craw are met with 
under this treatment. Many other diseases which affect chickens might be 
prevented by breeders, were a little precaution taken in the simple matter of 
feeding. 

TO PRODUCE EGGS. 

More eggs can perhaps be obtained from hens by mixing breeds than by 
any other mode ; and it is generally conceded that crossing also promotes 
the health of fowls far more than the vile practice, as some are pleased to 
term it, of in-and-in breeding. Little trouble need be apprehended from 
roup, gapes, cholera, and other diseases in poultry, if that care is observed in 
breeding and crossing that is so essential to all well regulated poultry yards. 

POSITION OF THE HENNERY AND RUNWAYS. 

As we said before, the hennery should be placed in a warm, dry location — 
(not in a damp, out-of-the-way place) — with runways ample to allow of plenty 
of exercise. Above all, care should be taken that vermin do not get a foot- 
hold in the hennery; for if they once make their appearance, it is difficult to 
exterminate them, and before the breeder is aware of it, his flock is over-run 
with them. Let the henneiy be thoroughly cleansed with lime, (whitewash 
put on hot,) as often as once a month. If any of the fowls show symptoms 
of disease — which is frequently the case when in confinement — see that 
they are removed at once from the flock. Give good, wholesome food, with 
plenty of clean water ; have the laying boxes cleaned and renewed frequently 
with straw, hay or shavings, and, with the help of the good housewife and 
children, there need be no fear of failure to profitably raise poultry. If one 
does not succeed in the first undertaking, he should not become disheartened, 
but persist in his endeavors to find out the cause of failure, and obviate it in 
the future. 

MR. LELAND'S EXPERIENCE. 

In this connection we give the reply of Mr. Warren Leland, Rye, N. 
Y., an experienced and extensive breeder of fowls, to inquiries from a gentle- 
man who desired to engage in the poultry business in his old age. Mr. Le- 
land says : — " I have found that for every hundred fowls you must give up at 
least an acre. But rough land is as good as any. Hens naturally love the 
bush, and I lop young trees, but leave a shred by which they live a year or 
more. These form hiding places and retreats for them. In such places they 
prefer to lay. I have great success, and it depends on three or four rules, by 
observing which I believe a good living can be made by hens and turkeys. I 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 9 

give my fowls great range. Eighteen acres belong to them exclusively. 
Then the broods have the range of another big lot, and the turkeys go half a 
mile or more from the house. The eighteen acres of poultry-yard is rough 
land, of little use for tillage. It has a pond in it, and many rocks, and bushes, 
and weeds, and sandy places, and ash heaps, and lime, and bones, and grass, 
and a place which I plow up to give them worms. 

" When a hen has set, I take her box, throw out the straw and earth, let 
it be out in the sun and rain a few days, and give it a good coat of whitewash 
on both sides. In winter, when it is very cold, I have an old stove in their 
house, and keep the warmth above freezing. There is also an open lire-place 
where I build a fire in cool, wet days. They dry themselves, and when the 
fire goes out there is a bed of ashes for them to wallow in. Summer and 
winter my hens have all the lime, ashes and sand they want. Another reason 
why I have such luck is because my poultry yards receive all the scraps from 
the Metropolitan Hotel. Egg making is no easy work, and hens will not do 
much of it without high feed. They need just what a man who works re- 
quires — wheat bread and meat. Even when wheat costs two dollars I believe 
in feeding it to hens. As to breeds, I prefer the Brahmas, light and dark. I 
change roosters every spring, and a man on the farm has no other duty than 
to take care of my poultry. I frequently turn off three thousand spring 
chickens in a single season." 



BREEDING AND MATING. 



Too many fanciers and farmers, otherwise earnest in their business, are 
very careless concerning their fowls. Interbreeding certainly degenerates — 
particularly when so promiscuously permitted in a flock of fowls as is com- 
mon. There are the same good reasons for 

MAKING CHOICE OP THE BEST BREEDS OF FOWLS 

as for making the same choice in other stocks. For while a prime breed is as 
easily reared, fed and housed as a poorer one, there is a decided difference 
in the returns in favor of the former. If properly cared for, we do not 
hesitate to say that fowls of superior order do yield the farmer, even, the 
largest interest for the outlay he makes of any other stock he keeps. 



10 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



In giving our own, and the opinion* of others on the general principles of 
breeding and mating fowls, it will not be out of place to give here an illus- 
tration and description of 

THE DIFFERENT POINTS OF A FOWL, 

so that the reader may be able to name them, and judge therefrom, in his 

selection of stock for breeding 
purposes : — A, Neck-hackle ; B, 
Saddle - hackle ; C, Tail; D, 
Breast ; E, Upper Wing Cov- 
erts ; F, Lower Wing Coverts ; 
G, Primary Quills ; H, Thighs ; 
I, Legs ; K, Comb ; L, Wattles ; 
M, Ear Lobe. 

SELECTION OF COCKS AND HENS 
FOR BREEDING PURPOSES. 

A desirable thing in breeding 
is the selection of the cock. This, 
as all should understand, is a very 
important matter to be looked 
after ; another is the proper pro- 
portion of hens to be given to 
the cock. To breed a good fowl 
of any kind requires thought, skill, observation and study. The cock in all 
cases should be of good size, perfectly healthy and vigorous ; carry his head 
high, and have a quick, animated look, a strong and shrill voice ; the bill 
thick and short, the comb of a fire red, bright color ; a membraneous wattle of 
a large size, and in color resembling the comb. He should be broad-breasted, 
with strong wings ; the plumage dark, the thighs muscular, and spry and 
trim on his legs ; free in his motions ; crow often, and scratch the earth with 
constancy in search of worms, not so much for himself as his mates ; when 
he is brisk, spirited, ardent and clever in caressing them, quick in defending 
them, attentive in soliciting them to eat, in keeping them together in the 
day, and assembling them at night, he will prove as a general thing, just the 
bird to breed from. The good qualities of hens, whether intended for laying 
or breeding, are of no less importance than those of the cock. The hen is 
deservedly the acknowledged pattern of maternal love. When her passion 
of philoprogenitiveness is disappointed by the failure or separation of her 
own brood, she will either go on sitting, till her natural powers fail, or she 
will violently kidnap the young of another fowl, and insist upon adopting 
them. But all hens are not alike. They have their little whims and fancies, 
likes and dislikes, as capricious and unaccountable as those of other females. 
Some are gentle in their manners and disposition, others are sanguinary; 
some are lazy, others energetic almost to insanity. To succeed in the matter 




THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 11 

of the selection of hens for mating and breeding purposes requires care, 
study and a considerable degree of patience. 

THE NUMBER OP HENS TO A COCK, ETC. 

We have no hesitancy in recommending to breeders the following ratio 
of hens to a cock of the breed named : — Houdans, twenty hens \o two cocks ; 
Creve-Cceurs, eight hens to one cock; Buff Cochins, twenty-four hens to 
two cocks ; Gray Dorkings, ten hens to one cock ; White Leghorns, four- 
teen hens to one cock ; Spanish, twelve hens to one cock ; Brahmas, twelve 
hens to one cock ; Hamburg's, fourteen hens to one cock ; Polands, twelve 
hens to one cock ; Game, ten hens to one cock. With this proportion of hens 
to a cock the vitality of the eggs will prove good, and at least eleven out of 
twelve eggs set will produce " chicks." 

For breeding purposes, we inclose in a yard ten or fifteen hens of each 
variety we desire to propagate, and with them one cock ; if we have two or 
more cocks whose qualities are equal, we think it preferable to change every 
two days, leaving only one cock with the hens at a time. Two weeks are 
necessary to procure full bloods, and we prefer the eggs the third rather than 
the second week. 

We are told by a breeder of some considerable experience with fowls 
that to determine the exact proportion of cocks and hens to be allowed to 
run together for breeding purposes is not an easy problem. He says : 
" While with some varieties, as the Cochins, three or four, or even two, are 
ample, (though we have seen cocks of that variety that would serve ten or 
a dozen ;) in others, twelve to fifteen are not too many. It is impossible to 
give any definite number for a rule. We have had pairs that did well, the 
eggs hatched well, and the hen did not suffer from the over-attention of the 
cock ; and again, we have been obliged to put in one, two, three, four and 
even more additional hens of common stock, with a trio of pure-bred fowls, 
to keep the blooded hens from being injured. Especially is this the case 
with the Houdans and Creve-Coeurs ; the cocks of both these breeds seem to 
be very vigorous, and require not less than four or six hens to run with them. 
The Dark Brahmas also need not less than four hens with the cock when he 
is young and vigorous. It was a favorite theory of ours, some years since, 
that poultry should be bred in pairs or trios. Because in the wild state, they 
ran in pairs, so also, should they do in the domesticated state. It is needless 
to say that our theory would not work when carried into practice. Perhaps, 
were a pair of fowls given a range of ten, twenty or more acres, and left to 
forage for themselves, one or two hens would be all the cock could attend ; 
but confined to an acre or less, and fed on stimulating food, the bird's nature 
becomes, as it were, changed, and he feels himself qualified for greater deeds. 
We have seen a hen's back and sides all cut open by the cock's spurs, and 
the owner was complaining that the hen did not lay. If he had given her 
three or four companions his cause of complaint would have ceased. The 
only mode of deciding the question is by watching the fowls. We have 



12 THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

known instances, though rare, of a cock serving twenty to twenty-five hens, 
and the eggs being very fertile. Again, a cock was cooped up with four 
hens, and it was found that when penned with two the eggs hatched twenty- 
five per cent, better than with the four. We think the latter case is of rare 
occurrence ; a safe average is four to six hens to a cock. A few days' ob- 
servation will enable one to tell whether more or less hens are needed. A 
young cock that has had a dozen or twenty hens to run with the first year is 
rarely fit for more than three or four the second. But if well cared for the 
first, and allowed not more than six hens, he is usually good for three or four 
years' service. We know many are prejudiced against using old cocks, and 
usually their prejudice is founded on experience like the above. A young 
cock with old hens is our preference for breeding stock, though many reverse 
it and put an old cock with young pullets. We know the hen lays a larger 
egg than the pullet, and a large egg must certainly bring out a larger chick 
than a small one ; and, as a rule, (to which there are many exceptions,) a 
young cock is more vigorous than an old one. Therefore we think this selec- 
tion preferable. Some, we are aware, contend that the cock has more in- 
fluence on the progeny than the hen, and that an old cock, being more mature 
and developed, will throw better chicks. Such has not been our experience, 
however, after a close observation of sevei-al years' duration." 

PREMIUM BIRDS DO NOT PRODUCE THE BEST CHICKENS. 

For the purpose of more fully carrying out our idea of breeding fowls 
to perfection and pointing out their imperfections, we have selected the 
Brahma as an example, (the principle will apply to any other breed,) and 
in this connection give, from Moords Rural JSTetc- Yorker ', the experience 
and advice of a gentleman who makes the breeding of fowls a science. 
He says: — " Premium birds do not always produce the best chickens. Good 
results may often be obtained from moderate stock, provided that they be 
so selected that the defects of the cock may be counteracted by those of 
the hens. Size in the Brahma is not of so mueh importance as most people 
give to it. Fine, large chickens may be reared from small parents by proper 
care and attention, and good, regular and judicious feeding. 

INFLUENCE UPON THE FANCY POINTS. 

" The cock has the most influence upon the fancy points, while the hen 
has most upon the form and size. If more attention were paid to the shape 
and straightness of the comb of the cock, we should see less of those grave 
defects which so frequently mar whole pens. I have seen magnificent birds 
with such crooked and fungus-like combs as would almost disqualify them in 
my opinion. Judges have been too liberal with these defects. It is quite 
time such liberality was stopped. Crooked combs should be bred out and 
not tolerated. The comb is one of the most prominent characteristics of 
the bird, and almost the first object which meets the eye. It touches our 
sense of the beautiful immediately to see a small head and straight comb, 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 13 

and docile look. And the head of a Brahma fowl should possess these quali- 
fications ; too much importance should not be given to breeding for weight 
or largeness of carcass, over other qualifications. I admire in the Brahma 
fowl a large frame, of symmetrical proportions and corresponding weight; 
but a fattened fowl is only fit for the table. I should rather breed from a 
small cock with a perfect comb than a large one with a crooked comb. A 
lively cock, mated with large hens, is preferable to a sluggish cock and small 
hens. Length of legs in a cock is of less importance than in a hen ; and in 
order to get size and proportion you must have due length of legs ; and 
even in a hen, it maybe counteracted by judicious mating. A narrow cock 
and a very wide hen are more likely to breed well than the reverse. It is to 
the male bird the breeder must look for perfection or defects in the comb, 
the beautiful yellow color of the legs, and all the fine points of the Brahma. 
"As to the penciling, I am convinced, by considerable experience, that 
the two sexes bear a proportionate influence to each other, although I should 
not hesitate to say that there is more probability of breeding good chickens 
from a perfectly and darkly penciled pullet or hen and an inferior cock than 
from a badly colored or marked hen and a cock of superior blood. A hen 
with a bad comb, mated with a cock whose comb is small and fine, will 
throw some very fine chickens. A cock with a drooping back and saddle 
should be mated with a hen very high towards the tail ; and if his hackle be 
short or scanty, that of the hen should be unusually sweeping and full. If 
any white stain should appear in the ear lobes, it is very apt to perpetuate 
itself, and particular care should be taken that the other sex has no sign of it, 
through several degrees. In shape, style and carriage, the Dark and Light 
varieties of the Brahma fowl should be precisely similar. . In the Light, I 
think the breeders of this country have surpassed the English. The Light 
now stands almost on equality with the Dark in size, shape, and in general 
popularity. The comb of this fowl especially must be more closely looked 
after. A defective comb tells wofully against the bird. You must breed 
them even, low and straight. You cannot, I know, get this point to perfection 
in the cock until a strain has been bred for years. No pure strain ought to 
breed a comb in which the peculiar triple character is not perfectly distinct. 

SHAPE OP THE COMB AND HEAD. 

" There is a diversity of opinion as to the shape of the comb. It should 
not exceed half an inch in hight, and instead of rising from the front towards 
the back and ending in a peak, I should prefer to see it, after arising for 
half or two-thirds of its length, decrease again towards the back, forming a 
kind of arch. This kind of comb not only looks well and symmetrical, but 
according to experience, is likely to breed far more true than any other. The 
head of the Brahma cannot be too small in proportion to the body. There 
is no point in this fowl that so truly indicates the high breeding or the blood 
of the strain as the smallness of the head, and you will find that a small head 
is accompanied by fineness of flesh, a point never to be lost sight of in this 



14 THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

class. I placed a dark hen of this variety in a coop by itself on exhibition at 
onr poultry show merely to give those interested in the matter those points 
in perfection which I claim we must reach before we can say we have finished 
our labors in this respect. 

THE GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS. 

" In all the original Brahmas the deaf-ears fell below the wattles ; and 
this point was mentioned by Dr. Bennet as a characteristic of the breed ; 
and the perpetuation of this should be carefully looked after. The neck- 
hackle should start well out just below the head, making a full sweep, and 
marking the point of juncture between the head and neck very distinctly by 
an apparent hollow or depression. The hackles can hardly be too full, and 
should descend low enough to flow over the back and shoulders. The more 
perfect you can get this, the nobler the carriage and appearance of the bird. 
A short or scanty hackle is a very great blemish. The hocks should be well 
covered with soft curling feathers. A cock with hocks a little out should not 
be deprecated, and as sometimes is, by the inexperienced, discarded. This 
class of hock, when properly mated with fine built hens, scantily feathered on 
the legs and toes, throw very fine full-booted birds. ■ While I should con- 
demn all vulture-hocked fowls to the gridiron, there are exceptions where I 
have bred from a very large, finely-formed hen, with handsomely and dis- 
tinctly marked pencilings, with great success, by mating them with a clean 
shanked cock with the proper marking; and have thrown four good birds to 
one hocked. No bird of this species should, when full grown, be considered 
fit for exhibition, unless the cock weighs twelve pounds, and hens from eight 
to nine pounds ; and if a cockerel does not weigh eight pounds at six or eight 
months, he will rarely prove a show bird. 

breeding- and mating for size, etc 

" In breeding for size, select a short, compact, deep-bodied cockerel, which 
need not be large, and mate him with long backed hens, even if their legs 
are longer than usual. Although length of back is a decided fault, such a 
cross will generally breed well ; the hen supplying the form, while the cock 
fills out to the proper proportion. Long, dangy, large-boned cocks may be 
mated with compact, short-legged hens, with the same result ; but the first 
mentioned cross will produce better results. Fine chickens may be reared 
from the eggs of pullets ; but the best chickens, as a rule, are got by mating 
either a two-year-old cock or a cockerel, with hens in their second season ; 
their chickens fledge more quickly, and attain maturity sooner. Hens mated 
with cockerels turn out more male birds, while cocks mated with pullets, will 
produce a goodly proportion of pullets. I should not hesitate mating cock- 
erels with pullets, if they be fine, strong-boned birds, hatched in March or the 
early part of April. A great many birds are spoiled by breeding from a 
cock of one strain and hens of different strains, and different styles of pen- 
cilings. If my presumption may be excused, I should advise the different 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 15 

breeders of this country to make up their minds respectively, as to the style 
and markings of the birds they deem most desirable to breed, and breed them 
uniformly and closely to the standard they have adopted. The popular taste 
will soon settle the question. You can always have fresh blood, if you keep 
two or three pens, and you can go on for years without crossing your breeds, 
and running the risk of bad blood or a motley brood, with no uniformity of 
shape or markings. 

BREEDING nsr-AND-EST. 

" Do not feel too much anxiety about breeding in-and-in. . Parent and 
offspring, and even brother and sister, may be bred from with safety and suc- 
cess for several years with this class of fowls. No breed has such stamina aa 
the Brahma, and if any mishap does occur, it will not be so aggravated as 
it would be by the concentration of bad blood ; therefore, it stands you in 
hand to be very careful what strain you purchase, and to know if the party 
has bred from distinct strains or indiscriminately. It is a work of time to 
breed fine strains, and considerable patience is requisite. It is in this respect 
that parties make a great mistake in going about from yard to yard, selecting 
here and there a bird from one, and cock, &c, from another, to gratify their 
vanity, with the hope of winning a few prizes, to the great detriment of the 
stock and disappointment of purchasers of the same, if they should breed 
from them. In the Light Brahma it is very necessary to secure a sufficient 
amount of color in the cock. The tendency of all poultry is to get lighter if 
indiscriminately bred ; therefore, you should select cocks of the proper dark- 
ness for breeding stock. The saddle should only be lightly striped, for if it 
contains too much black or the neck-hackle too dark, you will produce spotted 
backs. I will set down two rules, either of which can be applied to suit the 
wants of the breeder: — 1. Very heavy penciled cocks must be used to get 
heavy penciled (chicks) cocks. 2. Very dark hackled hens and light pen- 
ciled hackled cocks will get nice hackled pullets." 

VULTURE HOCKED FOWLS. 

Vulture hocked birds are a disqualification to any brood of fowls, with 
few exceptions, and should be eschewed in all 
breeding stock. The vulture hock is the projec- 
tion of feathers behind the knee, and inclining 
towards the ground, as shown in the accompany- 
ing illustration. The feathers of a fowl's leg 
usually should be close round the knee, and the 
leg clean below it. The breeds in which the 
vulture hock is necessary are Scrai-ta-ooks, 
Booted Bantams, and Ptarmigan fowls. Where 
the vulture hock makes its appearance, unwished 
for, and where its presence is considered a grave fault, is among Cochins and 
Brahmas- The fault will sometimes appear in the progeny, but in fowls, as 




16 THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

in everything else, the perfect birds form the exception, and as Dr. Bennett 
says, " to have many of them it is only necessary to breed well and kill well. 
By this process you will get rid of the vulture hock." 

CROSSING THE BREED. 

As we have said elsewhere, to insure successful and beneficial crossing of 
distinct breeds, in order to produce a new and what may be considered a 
valuable variety, the breeder should be well versed in the laws of procreation, 
and the varied influences of parents upon their offspring. It is avered that 
all fowls bred in this country are crosses or made breeds, either by design or 
accident. Therefore crossing does not necessarily produce a breed ; but on 
the other hand, it always produces a variety, and that variety becomes a dis- 
tinctive breed only where there is a sufficiency of stamina to make a dis- 
tinctive race, and continue a progeny with the uniform or leading character- 
istics of its progenitors. In crossing one breed with another we should say 
put a light cock with dark hens or vice versa, as in this case there is more 
liability of producing not only a new variety, but also some fine birds in the 
brood. Care is required in this matter, as in all others, (in mating for cross- 
breeding,) and patience is indispensable to success. All disqualified birds 
should be taken from the pen at the earliest moment, and sent to the table, 
leaving the best selections to breed from. We have made a fine cross by 
placing a dark Brahma hen with a white Dorking cock, and, on another occa- 
sion, made a good cross by placing a White-faced Black Spanish cock with a 
white Dorking pullet. There is no question but that good and valuable 
breeds of fowls, of beautiful plumage, may be thrown by these crosses. 



SETTING HENS AND INCUBATION, 



THE NUMBER OF EGGS TO PUT UNDER A HEN. 

One of the most important points to be observed in setting eggs for 
hatching, is to correctly proportion the number, taking into consideration 
their size, and the size of the hen about to sit upon them. The state of the 
"weather should also be a guide ; for a hen capable of setting upon and hatch- 
ing thirteen eggs in June ought not to have more than ten in January. 
The great error of setting a hen upon more eggs than she can cover is a 
cause of very general disappointment. We have frequently seen cross-bred 
game and other small hens set upon thirteen eggs, when it was perfectly clear 
to us that it would be impossible for them all to receive a proper and equal 
share of heat from her body. It is absolutely certain, also, that a hen cannot 
hatch out chickens from those eggs which she cannot draw close up to her 
body and give to them the natural warmth they require in the process of in- 
cubation. This has been very clearly demonstrated to us ; for upon one 
occasion we placed fifteen eggs under a hen, when we ought not at any sea- 
son to have given more than twelve, or, at the most, thirteen, and while out 
at feeding time, we examined the nest and found only thirteen eggs left. We 
at first thought the hen might have eaten them ; but, after one or two exami 
nations, we found sometimes thirteen and at others fourteen eggs present. 
We determined upon catching the hen one morning while off to feed, after 
finding there were only thirteen eggs in the nest. We cautiously laid hold 
of her, when she unfortunately dropped one egg and broke it ; upon a further 
examination we found the other missing egg under her wing. We replaced 
the egg in the nest and found that she regularly removed one or two of them ; 
thus it was apparent that she had more eggs under her than the surface of 
her body could possibly cover by contact. This marvelous fact proved 
the existence, first, of the beautiful principle we term instinct, and the ardent 
natural desire for carrying out to the fullest extent the remarkable operation 
we understand as incubation. 

THE PROPER HENS TO SET. 

A half-breed game or other small hen should be chosen for a natural in- 
cubator — (they have always, with us, proved the best breed) — and nine of 
her oWn eggs should be the extent ; if a Dorking or a large size mongrel hen 
be selected, eleven are sufficient ; a Cochin hen of some of the strains we 

2 



18 THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

have seen, will even cover fifteen of her own or eggs of similar size ; but 
even in this instance, it is best to err on the safe side, and give her but thir- 
teen eggs. Cochins and Brahmas have a large width of breast and a large 
amount of fluff and feather, both features being highly conducive to success- 
ful hatching, by assisting to retain the heat of the body of the birds and of 
the eggs also. 

CLOSE-SETTING HENS. 

There are some hens over-anxious about the chicks within the shells, 
whose cry for deliverance they can distinctly hear ; and they do not rise from 
off the eggs during the process of chipping. This is an operation we have 
continually observed with hens that are very successful in hatching, while 
those which sit too closely at the last stages are those whose excess of kind- 
ness has produced the non, or limited, success in hatching out good broods. 
The only good arising from any sprinkling of the eggs with water results 
from their having received an increased and life-saving supply of air during 
such process, without which, in many instances, the chicks would either have 
been suffocated or glued to the shell. 

THE PROCESS OF INCUBATION 

of the chicken is a subject not only curious but very interesting to the 
student of nature. It generally takes twenty-one days to hatch a brood 
of chickens, although a close-setting hen will sometimes 
hatch in eighteen days, if the weather is favorable. The 
expiration of the time should be carefully watched for ; 
not that the chicken requires any assistance, but, on the 
contrary, interference is much more likely to prove an 
injury than a benefit. A healthy chick will perform all 
that is required to free it from the shell. It is wonder- 
ful the power they possess while rolled up in so apparently 
helpless a mass ; the head, however, that makes the most 
exertion to free itself, is placed so as to leave room for 
reaction, and to turn round, and thus to peck a circle, (as shown in the ac- 
companying engraving,) and breaks around the large end of the shell, ad- 
mitting the air by degrees, until it becomes gradually prepared to extricate 
itself. A rash attempt to help them by breaking the shell, more particularly 
in a downward direction, toward the smaller end, is frequently followed by a 
loss of blood, which can ill be spared, and death ensues. 

We place the nest in a warm, sheltered place, and have fresh food and 
water near at hand so that the hen can help herself whenever chc io so in- 
clined. Should the nest become dirty, change it, or even wash the eggs in 
tepid water. As fast as the chickens break the shell, place them in a basket 
of cotton-wool by the fire, to avoid the danger of the mother's crushing 
them while they are helpless. When all have hatched, they may be returned 
to the hen. The yolk of a hard boiled egg should constitute their food dur- 




THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 19 

ing the first week ; after which coarser food may be given. When fully 
fledged, give them their liberty in the heat of the day, and house them be- 
fore sunset. Never permit them to wander in the grass when the dew is on, 
us more healthy fowls perish from this than any other cause. The chicks can 
be fed to good advantage with cracked corn or a mush of potatoes and 
Indian meal cooked. Feed should be given in small quantities, and fre- 
quently, during the day. 

CHANGES WHICH AN EGG UNDERGOES IN HATCHING. 

In this connection we trust it will not be deemed out of place to give 
what we find in an old volume of the Genesee Farmer and Gardeners' 
Journal of July, 1833, relative to the wonderful changes which an egg 
undergoes in hatching, from the first day till its final exclusion, accompanied 
with three illustrations, showing the first, middle and last stages of the chick. 
The same article appears in the American Poulterer's Companion, erron- 
eously credited to an English journal. This process of incubation is thus 
minutely described : 




FIRST, MIDDLE, AND LAST STAGES OF THE CHICK. 

"The hen has scarcely sat on her eggs twelve hours . before some linea- 
ments of the head and body of the chicken appear. The heart may be seen 
to beat at the end of the second day; it has at that time somewhat the form 
of a horseshoe, but no blood yet appears. At the end of two days, two 
vesicles of blood are to be distinguished, the pulsation of which is very 
visible; one of these is the left ventricle, and the other the root of the great 
artery. At the fiftieth hour, one auricle of the heart appears, resembling a 
noose folded down upon itself. The beating of the heart is first observed in 
the auricle, and afterward in the ventricle. At the end of seventy hours, the 
wings are distinguishable; and on the head two bubbles are seen for the 
brain, one for the bill, and two for the fore and hind part of the head. To- 
ward the end of the fourth day, the two auricles already visible draw nearer 
to the heart than before. The liver appears toward the fifth day. At the 
end of a hundred and thirty-one hours, the first voluntary motion is observed. 
At the end of seven hours more, the lungs and the stomach become visible ; 



20 THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

and four hours afterward, the intestines, and loins, and the upper jaw. At 
the hundred and forty-fourth hour, two ventricles are visible, and two drops 
of blood instead of the single one which was seen before. The seventh day, 
the brain begins to have some consistency. At the hundred and nineteenth 
hour of incubation, the bill opens, and the flesh appears in the breast. In 
four hours more, the breast-bone is seen. In six hours after this, the ribs 
appear, forming from the back, and the bill is very visible, as well as the gall- 
bladder. The bill becomes green at the end of two hundred and thirty-six 
hours ; and if the chicken be taken out of its covering, it evidently moves 
itself. The feathers begin to shoot out toward the two hundred and fortieth 
hour, and the skull becomes gristly. At the two hundred and sixty-fourth 
hour, the eyes appear. At the two hundred and eighty-eighth, the ribs are 
perfect. At the three hundred and thirty-first, the spleen draws near the 
stomach, and the lungs to the chest. At the end of three hundred and fifty- 
five hours, the bill frequently opens and shuts; and at the end of the 
eighteenth day, the first cry of the chicken is heard. It afterward gets more 
strength and grows continually, till at length it is enabled to set itself free 
from its confinement. 

" In the whole of this process we must remark that every part appears at 
its proper time ; if, for example, the liver is formed on the fifth day, it is 
founded on the preceding situation of the chicken, and on the changes that 
were to follow. No part of the body could possibly appear either sooner or 
later without the whole embryo suffering ; and each of the limbs becomes 
visible at the first moment. This ordination, so wise and so invariable, is 

manifestly the work of a Supreme Be- 
ing; but we must still more sensibly 
acknowledge His creative powers, when 
we consider the manner in which the 
chicken is formed out of the parts 
which compose the egg. How aston- 
ishing it must appear to an observing 
mind, that in this substance there 
should at all be the vital principle of 
an animated being ; that all the parts 
of an animal's body should be con- 
cealed in it, and require nothing but 
heat to unfold and quicken them ; that 
the whole formation of the chicken 
should be so constant and regular that, 
exactly at the same time, the same 
changes will take place in the gener- 
ality of eggs ; that the chicken, the moment it is hatched, is heavier than 
the egg was before ! But even these are not all the wonders in the for- 
mation of the bird from the egg — for this instance will serve to illustrate 




THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 21 

the whole of the feathered tribe — there are others altogether hidden from 
our observation, and of which, from our very limited faculties, we must ever 
remain ignorant." 

THE FERTILITY OP EGGS. 

There is no difficulty whatever in testing the fertility of eggs. The way 
to ascertain unfertile eggs at as early a period as possible is to take them 
into a room moderately dark, and hold them between the eye and a candle or 
lamp, in the manner represented in the engraving on the preceding page. The 
eggs under a setting hen should be examined at least as early as the eighth 
day after she commences incubation. If the egg be fertile, it will appear 
opaque, or dark all over, except, perhaps, a small portion towards the top ; 
but if it be unimpregnated, it will be still translucent, the light passing 
through it almost as if new laid. After some experience the eggs can be dis- 
tinguished at an earlier period, and a practiced hand can tell the unfertile 
eggs even at the fourth day. Should the number withdrawn be considerable, 
four batches set the same day may be given to three hens, or even two, and 
the remainder given fresh eggs ; and if not, the fertile eggs will get more 
heat, and the brood come out all the stronger. 



THE PROPER FOOD AID FEEDING. 



Never stint poultry in the variety or quality of their food. Good food 
is positive economy. The best and heaviest corn is the cheapest. The best 
food is that which gives the most of what nature demands for the formation 
of muscle, bone and fat. Fine bran, or middlings, is richer in two of these 
important ingredients than any other one kind of food ; but being deficient 
in gluten, is not warmth-giving, and is better when combined with whole 
grain, which, when mashed, forms a most wholesome and nutritious diet. 
Barley is much used in Europe, but should never be the only food in the 
poultry yard. Fowls do not fatten on it, though for a time they will thrive. 
Oats are good as a change, but inferior in nutriment ; if they are browned 
or roasted and given freely, they prove a good egg-producing food. Buck- 
wheat, however, is the best food to make fowls lay early. They devour the 



22 the people's practical poultey book. 

feed greedily, and its heating influence, in winter, is very perceptible. Hemp 
seed is also productive of eggs, and is very strengthening ; it is one of the 
best things that can be fed to fowls during the moulting season. 
the proper pood to give. 

In preparing birds for exhibition, flax seed may be given occasionally ; it 
increases the secretion of oil, and gives luster to their plumage. In giving 
soft feed it should be mixed stiff — not mushy ; fowls do not relish it in the 
latter state. A good food of this kind is composed of equal parts of fine 
bran and Indian meal. This should be scalded or mixed with boiling hot 
water to such a consistency that it will break or crumble when thrown upon 
the ground. Another good soft feed is made of small potatoes, washed clean, 
boiled, and mashed with an equal quantity of Indian meal. In giving soft 
feed never use a feeding dish or trough. If the yards are clean, as they 
should be, the ground is by far the best place to feed them from. The gravel 
and sand, which adhere to the food, are necessary for digestion ; besides, 
poultry prefer to pick their food from the ground. 

Do not, on any consideration, neglect to give poultry green food. A 
little chopped vegetables of some kind, whether cabbage, lettuce, spinach, 
onions or other greens, is better given every day than a great deal once or 
twice a week. To secure perfect eggs, lime, in some form, ought to be fur- 
nished. Broken bones, lime rubbish, oyster or clam shells, burned and 
pounded fine, are all good. Beef or pork scraps are productive of good re- 
sults. In the winter, when fowls cannot supply themselves with insects, 
worms or grubs, a scrap-cake, laid in the hen yard for them to pick at, or a 
little chopped off and broken up and fed to them, adds not only to their 
health but largely to the contents of the egg basket. An occasional dish of 
raw meat, chopped into small pieces and given them will be devoured with 
avidity. Another way, and one which we have practiced with good results, 
is to get a sheep's pluck and hang it up in the hennery, just high enough to 
make the fowls fly up and pick it off by piece-meal. If fowls are over-fed 
with meat it will show itself in the loss of feathers, and prove very detri- 
mental to the brood. Some breeders feed game fowls largely on fresh 
meat — claiming that it creates a pugnacious disposition in the cock. What- 
ever is done in the matter of feeding, regularity, as to time, is essential to 
success. 



REARING FOWLS FOR MARKET AM) EGGS. 



THE BEST BREED TO EEAE EOE MAEKET. 

The best breed of fowls to rear for the market, or as egg-producers, de- 
pends upon locality ; for while, in some places, one variety is deemed the 
best, in others it would prove the reverse. Our own opinion is, that, for a 
market fowl, the Brahmas and Cochins will, under almost all circumstances, 
prove the most desirable, they being less liable to disease, feathering up 
quickly, and can be bred to weigh, at from four to six months of age, 
eight to ten pounds. Another good table fowl is the Dorking (cock) crossed 
with the Brahma (hen). The flesh of this cross is sweet and nutritious, and 
acquires at early age the plumpness of the Dorking at maturity. There are 
other breeds, however, which are said to be desh'able to rear for the table. 
Many claim that the French breeds of fowls are of this number ; but this we 
very much do^^bt, as their flesh lacks the buttery, golden color that attracts 
the eye of the epicure. They may prove valuable as egg-producers, but 
they lack many good qualities as a table bird. Dorkings are undoubtedly 
at the head of the list as table birds, but of late years have become so subject 
to disease that we question the feasibility of rearing them profitably for mar- 
ket in our changeable northern climate. 

THE BEST AS EGG-PRODUCERS. 

As egg-producers the Hamburgs are claimed to stand at the head of the 
list. This claim we are prepared to dispute ; for, as winter layers, we 
find that the Brahma, Cochin, Leghorn, Poland, and Houdan stand rela- 
tively in the position here named. That the Hamburgs are good egg-pro- 
ducers we admit ; but that they are any better than a number of non-setting 
fowls, so called, we deny. The richness and meatiness of their eggs are not 
to be compared with those of the Poland, Leghorn, Houdan or Brahma ; and 
their eggs lack the size of those named. All things considered, we have no 
hesitancy in saying that for eggs we should name the Polands ; for the table, 
Dorkings, and for early marketable chickens, Brahmas and Cochins. 

A correspondent of Moore's Rural JVew- Yorker, who has had consider- 
able experience in rearing fowls for profit, says : — " The Farmer's Breed is 
the breed for profit. It consists of Brahma hens and colored Dorking 



24 THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

cocks — the chicks from which are hardy, easily reared, grow fast, and in 
four months, without extra feed, will dress four to five pounds each of fine- 
grained, well-formed, plump-breasted, well-colored flesh, fit for the table oi 
any amateur or epicure, and always commanding a good price in market. 
The hens from this cross are even better and more continuous layers than 
either pure Brahma or the Dorking ; but if wanted to breed again, the 
farmer must keep one coop separate of Brahmas — say a cock and two 
hens — and so also of the Dorkings, and thus yearly with the cross of pure 
bred birds, cocks of the Dorkings, and hens of the Brahmas, keep up the 
' Farmer's Breed for profit.'' " 



FATTENING AND PREPARING POULTRY FOR MARKET. 



THE MANNER OF FATTENING. 

Although the manner of fattening poultry may seem to be extremely 
plain, there is, nevertheless, a right and a wrong way, a long and a short 
mode of accomplishing the object desired. Many breeders who rear fowls 
for the market believe in letting poultry forage and shift for themselves, 
while others believe the best method is in keeping them constantly in high 
feed. This is just our idea ; for where a steady and regular profit is required 
from rearing poultry, or a business is made thereof, the very best method, 
whether for domestic use or for the market, is constant high keep from the 
beginning. Thus they will always be in a saleable condition and ready for 
the table. As the American Poulterer's Companion justly says, fowls kept 
in this way need but very little extra attention. Their flesh will be superior 
in juiciness and richer in flavor than those which are fattened from a low 
and emaciated state. Fed in the manner above indicated, spring pullets are 
particularly fine, commanding the highest price on the market, and proving a 
most healthful, nourishing and restorative food. 

FEEDING HOUSES. 

Our mode of constructing feeding houses or coops is to have them so they 
will be, at once warm and airy, with earthen floors, well raised, and capacious 
enough for the accommodation of from twenty to thirty-five fowls ; the floor, 
if desired, may be slightly littered with straw, but the litter should be fre- 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 25 

quently changed, and great care taken to secure cleanliness, for fear of ver- 
min. As we have before said, the coops should be well supplied with feed- 
ing-troughs which should always be kept full of feed, and which can be got 
at easily by the fowls. Perches should also be placed but a few feet from 
the ground, so they can be reached without much effort ; those made in the 
form of stairs, having the poles one above the other, (slanting,) are the best. 
Fowls cooped in this way may be fattened in a short time and to the highest 
pitch, and be preserved in a perfectly healthy state. There is no necessity, 
in our opinion, to confine fowls in dark coops and practice the art of cram- 
ming to fatten them properly ; this mode is an abomination, and should not 
be followed by any breeder of common sense. 

MODE OF FATTENING FOWLS IN COOPS. 

In fattening fowls confined in coops, old writers recommend feeding them 
with bread, soaked in ale, wine, or milk ; barley mixed with milk, and sea- 
soned with mustard or anise seed ; while others recommend cramming them 
three or four times a day ; also keeping them in a dark . place, and not allow- 
ing them any exercise. Bradley says, " the best way, and the quickest, to 
fatten them, is to put them into coops as usual, and feed them with barley 
meal, being particular to put a small quantity of brick dust in their water, 
which they should never be without. This last will give them an appetite 
for their meat, and fatten them very soon." Yet another writer says they 
should be shut up where they can get no gravel ; keep corn by them all the 
time, and also give them dough enough for one feed a day. For drink, give 
them skimmed milk ; with this feed they will fatten in ten days ; if they are 
kept over ten days, they should have some gravel, or they will fall away. 

The mode of fattening poultry, extensively practiced in Liverpool, Eng- 
land, is to feed them with steamed or baked potatoes, warm, three or four 
times a day ; the fowls are taken in good condition from the yard, confined 
in dry, well-ventilated coops, and covered in, so as to prevent the entrance 
of too much light. It is said this method is attended with the greatest 
success. 

NO POULTRY SHOULD BE PERMITTED TO RUN AT LARGE 

for at least ten days before killing, for they are apt to range in the barn- 
yards, and pick up filthy food, which permeates all through the bird, and 
frequently they become so tainted that they are unfit to eat, after being 
placed on the table. 

PROPER FOOD FOR FATTENING. 

In all cases in fattening fowls, whether old or young, we should recom- 
mend that the food be cooked and fed warm. Barley meal, or mixed with 
equal quantities of Indian meal, made into a thick paste or porridge and fed 
warm, is about as good a feed as we know of, and seems to make flesh faster 
and more solid, and give it a golden color and plump appearance after being 



26 THE PEOPLES PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

KILLING AND DRESSING. 

As much if not more depends on the manner of killing poultry as in the 
dressing to have it look fit for market. Too much caution cannot be used in 
this branch of the business. One mode of killing fowls, (instead of wringing 
the necks, which we deprecate,) is to cut their heads off with a single blow 
of a sharp ax, hang them up by the legs, and allow them to bleed freely, and 
pluck their feathers immediately — while warm. The French mode, which 
is highly commended, we think far the best, as it causes instant death without 
pain or disfigurement, and is simply done by o])ening the beak of the fowl, 
and with a sharp-pointed and narrow-bladed knife, make an incision at the 
back of the roof, which will divide the vertebrae and cause immediate death, 
after which hang the fowl up by the legs till the bleeding ceases, and pick it 
while warm, if you desire the feathers to be removed. With a little care 
the skin of the fowl does not become as torn and ragged as it does in the 
old-fashioned way of scalding. Another thing, the flesh presents a better 
and more natural appearance when not scalded. 

Geyelin says : — " Some breeders cram their poultry before killing, to 
make them appear heavy ; this is a most injudicious plan, as the undigested 
food soon enters into fermentation, and. putrefaction takes place, as is evi- 
denced by the quantity of greenish, putrid-looking fowls that are seen in the 
markets." Fowls should always be allowed to remain in their coops at least 
twenty-four hours previous to being killed, without food ; by so doing, the 
breeder will be the gainer in the end, as his poultry will keep longer and 
present a better appearance in the market ; and, above all, he will show the 
purchaser that he is honest, and has not crammed his poultry for the purpose 
of benefiting himself and swindling others. 

THE FRENCH MODE OF KILLING 

is preferable, when the head of the bird is to be left on ; but that is not 
necessary, neither is it desirable ; but when the head is taken off, the skin 
should always be pulled over the stump and tied. The mode of picking 
while the bird is warm is called " dry picking," and is the favorite method 
of dressing poultry for the Philadelphia market. There is one objection to 
this system, that it does not improve the appearance, although it does the 
flavor ; and while cooking it will " plump up " and come out of the oven 
looking much finer than when it went in. In addition, it will keep much 
longer than when dressed by the other mode. Another plan is, after the 
bird is picked, as above described, plunge it in a kettle of" very hot water, 
holding it there only long enough to cause the bird to " plump," then hang it 
up, tm-keys and chickens by the foot, and geese and ducks by the head, until 
thoroughly cooled. This scalding makes the fat look bright and clear, and the 
fowl to appear much fatter than it would if picked dry. This is the usual 
mode of dressing for the New York markets. 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



27 



BOXING POULTRY FOR MARKET. 

On the subject of boxing poultry for market Dr. Bennet says: — "It 
should be carefully packed in baskets or boxes, and above all, it should be 
kept from the frost. A friend of mine, who was very nice, in these matters, 
used to bring his turkeys to market in the finest order possible, and always 
obtained a ready sale and the highest market price. His method was to pick 
them dry, while warm, and dress them in the neatest manner ; then take a 
long, deep, narrow, tight box, with a stick running from end to end of the 
box, and hang the turkeys by the legs over the stick, which prevents bruising 
or disfiguring them in the least." The way poultry is frequently forwarded 
to city markets is enough to disgust almost any one, and throws odium on 
breeders as a olass. 

the mode of packing. 

All poultry should be thoroughly cooled before packing. Then provide 
boxes, for they are preferable to barrels ; place a layer of rye straw that 
has been thoroughly cleaned from dust, on the bottom. Commence packing 








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by bending the head of the fowl under it (see figure 1.) Then lay it in the 
left hand corner, with the head against the end of the box, with the back 
up ; continue to fill that row in the same manner until completed ; then begin 
the second row the same way, letting the head of the bird pass up between 
the rump of the two adjoining ones, which will make it complete and solid, 
(see figure 2.) In packing the last row, reverse the order, placing the head 
against the end of the box, letting the feet pass under each other ; should 
there be a space left between these two rows wide enough to lay in a few 
sideways, do so, passing the feet under the same way, but should it not be 
wide enough, then fill tight with straw, so the poultry cannot move. This 
gives a uniformity of appearance, and a firmness in packing that will prevent 
moving during transportation. Over this layer, place straw enough to pre. 
vent one layer from coming in contact with the other ; then add other layers, 
packed in the same manner, until the box is filled. 

Care should be taken to have the box filled full, in order to prevent any 
disarrangement of the contents ; for should they become misplaced, the skin 
may become so badly disfigured as to cause a depreciation of the value to 
the owner. Great care should be taken in packing not to skin the bird, 



28 the people's practical poultry book. 

for during transportation, the skinned places turn black and make it look 
badly. To those having exti*a fine poultry to send to market, we would 
recommend to put paper over each layer before placing the straw on it ; this 
prevents the dust settling on it, and adds much to its appearance. A little 
practice will soon make a person quite expert in packing, and for a person 
buying to ship an expert packer is valuable ; his skill will pay the owner ten 
times his cost, for very frequently the first sight of a box of poultry sells it. 

MARKING THE BOXES, ETC. 

The box should have the initials of the consignor, the number and variety 
of the contents, as well as the name of the consignee, marked on it. The 
necessity for marking the number and variety of contents is, that in case the 
box is broken open and any portion of the contents missing before delivery 
to the consignee, they will be enabled to make a correct bill for the missing 
poultry. Another advantage is, that the consignee knows by a glance at the 
box whether it contains the desired variety he wishes ; if not, he need not 
open it, and the contents will not receive a needless handling ; for some par- 
ties prefer a mixed box, while others do not, and all dealers prefer selling the 
entire contents of the box to one person, as it avoids error in weighing and 
keeping the accounts. To those wishing to market capons we would say, 
they should be dry picked, with the feathers on around the head and the tip 
of the wings ; also the tail feathers left in ; the small or pin feathers should 
all be removed. 

SEND GEESE FOR CHRISTMAS, 

as they are in demand at that time, and bring more money than any other 
poultry. All Irishmen and many Germans think it is not Christmas with- 
out a goose for dinner. Send all large turkeys before New Year's, as they 
are wanted to adorn the New Year's table ; and they depreciate in price 
immediately after that day. Small turkeys are then in better demand, while 
chickens and ducks can be sent any time after they are fattened, and never 
until then. 

Persons living at a distance from the city and desiring to send their 
poultry to market for any particular occasion, should allow at least two days 
longer for its transportation than usual, so that it will not miss the market 
for that occasion ; for the dealer had better receive it a day or two sooner 
than one hour too late. 

PURCHASING POULTRY FOR THE TABLE. 

As we have given the modus operandi for fattening fowls for market, &c, 
we now have a word of caution to offer those purchasing poultry which may 
not, perhaps, come amiss. Those who are not good judges of poultry, as to 
their age, may, and often do, have old, tough fowls palmed off upon them by 
an unscrupulous dealer. 

Fowls are killed and prepared for market with much adroitness and care 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 29 

by some dealers, and many devices practiced to catch the eye of the un- 
sophisticated purchaser — the best side of the poultry being shown to the 
greatest advantage. Every sort of fowl is killed, plucked and put on the 
market, and if the purchaser buys an inferior article at an exorbitant price, 
he has only himself to blame for so doing. 

HOW TO JUDGE THE AGE OP POULTRY. 

The age of a plucked fowl can be judged simply by the legs. If the scales 
on the leg of a hen are rough and the spur hard, it will not be necessary to see 
the head to determine that she is old ; still the head will corroborate your 
observation ; if that of an old hen, the bill will be stiff and hard, and the 
comb rough and thick. The scales on the leg of a young hen are smooth, 
glossy and fresh colored, whatever the color may be ; only the rudiments of 
spurs are observable ; the claws tender and short, the under bill soft, the 
comb thin and smooth. An old hen turkey has rough scales on the legs, cal- 
losities on the soles or bottom of the feet, and long, strong claws ; while a 
young turkey has the reverse of these marks. A young goose or duck can be 
readily told by the tenderness of the skin under the wings, the strength of 
the joints of the legs, and the coarseness of the skin. 

If the foregoing directions are strictly followed, in purchasing poultry, 
we will venture the assertion that the " good housewife " will have no fault 
to find with the length of time it takes to cook, or the toughness of her 
Thanksgiving turkey, goose or chicken. This mode of finding out the age 
of fowls is infallible. 

PURCHASING UNDRAWN POULTRY. 

We are one of a score of housekeepers who object, in toto, to the pur- 
chasing of poultry unless it be drawn. The habit of forcing fowls on the 
market undrawn, and allowing them to freeze and thaw, (generally with full 
crops,) by which process they become fetid and turn green cannot prove 
otherwise than unwholesome food — not fit to be eaten. No fowls should be 
purchased by housekeepers unless they are properly cleaned and drawn. In 
many cities there is a fine imposed upon the person for offering undrawn 
poultry upon the market for sale. 

TO PRESERVE POULTRY IN WINTER. 

This is a matter not fully understood, and for the information of the gen- 
eral reader we cannot do better than to give the mode practiced by the ven- 
erable Judge Buel, in preserving poultry in winter. He says : — " I pur- 
chased a quantity of poultry for winter use early in November. The insides 
were carefully drawn, their place partially filled with charcoal, and the poul- 
try hung in an airy loft. It was used through the winter, till about the first 
.of February, and although some were kept seventy days none of it was the 
least affected with must or taint, the charcoal having kept it perfectly sweet." 



VARIETIES OF FOWLS, 

HISTORY, CHARACTERISTICS, Etc., OF THE BREEDS. 



THE BRAHMAS. 

We have seen Brahmas which we considered the ne plus ultra of the 
feathered tribe. English breeders claim everything that is good for these 




DARK BRAHMA. COCK. 

birds, and lose sight of their faults. We have bred the Brahmas, both Light 
and Dark, and thought highly of them ; still they did not prove good layers 
with us. Since we have discarded them we have found out the reason of our 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



31 



ill-success — it was over-feeding. This may seem strange, but nevertheless 
it is a fact. We fed them all they could eat " and more too." The conse- 
quence was we did not get from them the number of eggs we otherwise 




D.A.R.K: BRAHMA HEN. 

should. Feeding fowls enough to keep them in good heart and over-feeding 
them are two different things. In the first instance you are "just and gen- 
erous " with them, in feeding just enough — in the other case you are " kill- 
ing them with kindness " by over-feeding, which makes them dumpish and 
lazy, and inclined to be perpetual sitters. We believe that Brahmas well 
kept will make a very profitable fowl to breed. They are good layers, good 
sitters, and make the best of mothers, if the breeder knows how to handle 
them. They are objected to by many poultry fanciers, from their clumsi- 
ness — many aver that they are liable to break their eggs, when sitting, by 



32 the people's practical poultry book. 

getting off and on their nests. If the nests were put in the proper place, 
this fault would be obviated. Always make the nests low — on the ground 
or floor of the hennery is best ; nail cleats around them of two-inch 
boards, not higher than two and one-half inches, to keep the eggs from roll- 
ing out, and you need have no fears of any being broken. 

It is said the Brahmas are an Asiatic breed of fowls, and that they 
were first brought to this country by a sailor, who said he got them from the 
banks of the Brahmapootra — a river that waters the territory of Assam. 
How true this is we cannot say, but it is claimed that the Brahmas in this 
country sprung from this source, and that English breeders are indebted to 
America for the beautiful fowls of this breed they possess. These birds are 
highly prized in England — a pair of them having lately been sold for $350. 

Dark Brahmas. — The Dark Brahmas are claimed by many breeders to 
be the best of the Brahma variety, but we opine there are just as many who 
stand ready to claim that the Light are equally as good, if not a better 
breed. Still some breeders claim that the flesh of the Dark is richer and 
more palatable than that of the Light. Our opinion is that the difference 
between the two colors is all fancy, one proving just as good as the other, 
under similar management. Having bred both colors, we have yet to learn 
the distinctive difference between them. The plumage of the Dark does 
not show the same mussiness of feather as the Light ; still, if kept in a clean, 
dry hennery, as fowls always should be, the difference is imaginary. 

The head of the cock should be surmounted with what is termed a " pea- 
comb," which resembles three small combs running parallel the length of the 
head, the center one the highest ; beak strong, well curved ; wattles full ; 
ear-lobes red, well rounded and falling below the wattles. The neck should 
be short, well curved ; hackle full, silvery white striped with black, flowing 
well over the back and sides of the breast ; feathers at the head should be 
white. Back very short, wide and flat, rising into a nice, soft, small tail, 
carried upright ; back almost white ; the saddle feathers white, striped with 
black, and the longer the better. The soft rise from the saddle to the tail, 
and the side feathers of the tail to be pure lustrous gi*een black, (except a 
few next the saddle,) slightly ticked with white, the tail feathers pure black. 
The breast should be full and broad, and carried well forward; feathers 
black, tipped with white. Wings small, and well tucked up under the sad- 
dle-feathers and thigh fluff. A good black bar across the wing is important. 
The fluff on the hinder parts and thighs should be black or dark gray ; lower 
part of the thighs covered with soft feathers, nearly black. The markings 
of the hen are nearly similar to those of the cock. Both sexes should have 
rather short yellow legs, (those of the hen the shorter,) and profusely 
feathered on the outside. The carriage of the hen is full, but not so upright 
as that of the cock. The markings of the hen, except the neck and tail, are 
the same all over, each feather having a dingy white ground, closely penciled 
with dark steel gray, nearly up to the throat on the breast. 



THE PEOPLE S PEACTICAL POULTEY BOOK. 



33 




LIGHT BRAHMA COCK. 



34 THE PEOPLES PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

Light Brahmas. — Pure Light Brahma fowls are chiefly white in color of 
plumage, but if the feathers are parted, the bottom of the plumage will ap- 
pear of a bluish-gray, showing an important distinction between them and 
White Cochins, in which the feathers are always white down to the skin. 
The neck-hackles should be distinctly striped with black down the center of 
each feather. The plume of the cock is often lighter than that of the hen ; 
the back should be quite white in both sexes. The wings should appear white 
when folded, but the flight feathers are black ; the tail black in both cock and 
hen ; in the cock, however, it is well developed, and the coverts show splen- 
did green reflections in the light ; it should stand tolerably upright, and open 
well out laterally, like a fan ; the legs should be yellow and well covered 
with white feathers, which may or may not be very slightly mottled with 
black ; ear-lobes must be pure red, and every bird should have a perfect pea- 
comb, though fine birds with a single comb have occasionally been shown 
with good success ; but, as a general thing, the pea-comb fowl shows off to 
the best advantage, and attracts universal commendation by both the amateur 
and breeder. 

the chittagongs. 

Years ago this breed of fowls was looked upon as possessing a great 
deal of merit, but in these latter days of Brahma and Cochin fever they have 
been lost sight of, and we scarcely hear the name of Chittagong mentioned ; 
though we firmly believe the Buff and White Cochins owe their parentage 
to a cross with the Chittagong and Shanghae breed. Kerr's "Ornamental 
Poultry Breeder " says the plumage of the Chittagong is very showy and of 
various colors ; the birds being exceedingly hardy. In some, gray predomi- 
nates, interspersed with lightish yellow and white feathers in the pullets ; the 
legs being of a reddish flesh-color, and more or less feathered ; the comb 
large and single ; wattles very full, wings good size ; the model is graceful, 
carriage proud and easy, and action prompt and determined. The flesh of 
this breed is delicately white. The cocks, at eight or nine months of age, 
weigh from nine to ten pounds, and the hens from eight to nine pounds. 
They do not lay as many eggs during the year as smaller hens, but they lay 
as many pounds as the best breeds. The Red variety of Chittagongs are 
smaller than the gray ; legs being yellow and blue ; the wings and tail short ; 
comb single and rose-colored. An ordinary pair will weigh from sixteen to 
eighteen pounds. In the dark-red variety the cock is black on the breast and 
thighs ; the hens yellow or brown, with single serrated comb ; legs yellow 
and heavily booted with black feathers. The Chittagongs as a breed is 
quite leggy, in many instances, the cock standing twenty-six inches high, and 
the hens twenty-two. 

the cochin chinas. 

Birds of this breed are becoming more and more favorites with the gen- 
eral breeder, not only in England, but also in this country. They are de- 
servedly high in the standard of merit in this country on account of their 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 35 

hardiness and good laying and breeding qualities. A friend of ours who has 
had considerable experience with the Asiatic breeds of fowls, considers the 
Bulf Cochins better adapted to our severe and changeable climate than either 
the Brahma, Chittagong or Shanghae. He avers that they (the Cochins) 




BXJI^ , Ii , COCHITT COCK. 



require less care, and pay for their feed in extra amount of flesh, and rich- 
ness, and quality of eggs. His hens have weighed ten pounds each, and th^ 
cock fifteen pounds, and stands over two feet in hight. He allows his hens 
to have but one good setting a year, and breaks up this propensity in about 
two or three days by removing them to a coop with a bottom made of rollers 



3'j THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

two inches in diameter, and gives them little or no feed and fresh water. Ho 
thinks a hard bed a good cure for indolent habits. Although called Cochin 
Chinas, the Buff Cochins are the real Shanghaes. They were unknown to 
the Southern Chinese, and they never claimed them as their native fowl, and 
were as much astonished at their size as we were when they first came to 
this country. The Shanghae breed had feathered and unfeathered legs, but 
were more frequently unfeathered. Fashion, however, calls for booted-legs. 
There are three varieties of color — Buff, Lemon and Cinnamon. The Buff 




JBTJITin COCHIN HKN". 

seem to be the most desired. There are also Silver Buffs and Silver Cinna- 
mons. The latter, if well marked, are very beautiful and rare. 

The carriage of the cock should be upright and majestic ; breast very 
broad, forming a straight line from the crop to the thighs ; back short and 
wide ; tail very slightly raised, and the wings very short and held tightly to 
the sides ; the legs, thighs and saddles unusually large in proportion to the 
rest of the body ; head small and carried wed up ; a stout, curved and yel- 
low beak, with plenty of substance at the base, and the shorter the better. 
The carriage of the hen must be similar in general character to the cock, ex- 



THE PEOPLES PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



3V 



cepting that the head is carried much lower ; and a gentle, pleasing expres- 
sion of face is a mark of high bred specimens. The hackle of the cock 
should be very full and of a light bay color, spreading over the base of the 
wings and free from any markings. The hen's hackle should be a distinct, 
clear buff, free from any markings ; a slight penciling is preferable to a 
clouded one. The saddles of the cock and hen should also be free from any 
markings. Cockerels of the year, though imperfect, will, if of pure blood, 
in the second year moult out perfectly clear. A black tail in the cock is ad- 
missible ; but the principal feathers, if bronze in color, add very much to the 




PAIR OF PARTRIDGE COCHIN'S. 

appearance of the bird ; if of buff color, will throw dark pullets. The breast 
of the cock and hen should be clear buff, the feathers running somewhat 
lighter in color towards the tip, showing a waving appearance in sunlight, 
Both primary and secondary quills should be clear buff, without admixture 
of colors. The legs should be very heavily feathered, short, and wide apart, 
The comb in cock and hen should be very flat, evenly serrated and perfectly 
straight, without any inclination to either side. The wattles of the cock thin 
and fine, perfectly florid in color, ear-lobes well developed, long, thin and 
fine ; any white is a decided blemish. The eye of the cock should be yel- 



38 THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

low-ochre colored ; in the hen a little darker than those of the cock ; and, 
strange to say, these characteristics denote a sound constitution. A clear, 
dark-winged cock throws the best chickens. Vulture hocks in Cochins are 
clearly inadmissible, and should never be tolerated at any exhibition ; they 
show mixed blood, and, if bred out, will revert back again. Hocked birds 
are frequently awarded the highest premium at shows in this country — in 
England they are disqualified. 

THE SHANGHAES. 

The Shanghae fowl was highly estimated on its first introduction in this 
country in 1847, and for a long time thereafter considered the best of the 
Asiatic breed, but of late years we hear very little mention made of them. 
They are entirely ignored even from our poultry shows. As we have said 
elsewhere, the Cochins have superseded the Shanghae breed entirely. A well- 
bred cock, when full-grown, stands twenty-eight inches high ; the hen from 
twenty to twenty-three inches. The hen has a slightly curved beak, the 
forehead well arched ; comb low, single, erect, slightly and evenly toothed ; 
wattles small and curved inward, the eyes are bright and prominent, the neck 
about eight inches long and gently arched when held upright ; the body long 
;nid greatly arched ; the girth of the body of a good specimen, when meas- 
ured over the wings, is about twenty inches ; the legs are rather long, of a 
pale yellow color, with a tinge of flesh-color, and generally thickly covered 
with feathers from the outside down to the toe. The plumage is remarkably 
soft and silky, and, beneath the tail, densely fluffy and rounded. The comb 
of the cock is high, deeply indented, and his wattles double and large. 
Though the comb and wattles are not to be regarded as the chief character- 
istics of this breed of fowls, nor are its reddish-yellow feathered legs ; but 
the abundant, soft and downy covering of the thighs, hips, and region of the 
vent, together with the remarkably short tail, are characteristics not found in 
any other bird. The wings are small and short in proportion to the size of 
the fowl, being carried very high up the body, thus exposing the Avhole of 
the thighs, and a large portion of the side. The arrangement of the feathers 
gives the bird a greater depth of quarter, in proportion to the brisket, than 
any fowl with which we are conversant. There are Shanghae fowls of Black, 
Gray, Buff, Cinnamon and Partridge-color. These are termed sub-varieties. 
White is said to have been the color of the original imported birds, the other 
colors having been bred in this country. Mr. Bowman, an eminent English 
breeder of the Shanghae, says of the fecundity of this breed, that he had 
" a pullet that laid one hundred and twenty eggs in a hundred and twenty- 
five days, then stopped six days, then laid sixteen eggs more, stopped four 
days, and again continued her laying." The eggs are not so rich and nutri- 
tious as those of the Doi'king ; neither are they remarkably large compared 
to the size of the fowl ; they are of a pale yellow or nankeen color, and gen- 
erally blunt at the ends. The flesh of the Shanghae is quite inferior to that 
of the smaller breeds, being coarse-grained, neither tender nor juicy, and 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



39 



have more offal and less breast-meat than either Cochins or Brahmas. They 
are not inclined to ramble, and, on this account, bear confinement much bet- 
ter than many other breeds. 

The White Shanghae. — This variety is entirely white, with the legs 
usually feathered, and differs in no material respect from the red, yellow, and 
Partridge, except in color. The legs are yellowish, or reddish-yellow, and 
sometimes of flesh-color. Many prefer them to all others. It is claimed by 
the friends of this variety that they are larger and more quiet than other 
varieties, that their flesh is much superior, their eggs larger, and the hens 
more profitable. Being more quiet in their habits, and less inclined to ram- 
ble, the hens are invaluable as incubators and nurses ; and the mildness of 




3PA.IR Olf WHITE SHAJSTGHAES. 

their disposition makes them excellent foster-mothers, as they never injure 
the chickens belonging to other hens. These fowls will rank among the 
largest coming from China, and are very thrifty in our climate. A cock of 
this variety attained a weight of eight pounds, at about the age of eight 
months, and the pullets of the same breed were proportionably large. They 
are broad on the back and breast, with a body well rounded up ; the plumage 
white, with a downy softness — in the latter respect much like the feathering 
of the Bremen goose ; the tail-feathers short and full ; the head small, sur- 
mounted by a small, single, serrated comb ; wattles long and wide, overlay- 



40 



THE PEOPLES PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



ing the cheek-piece, which is also large, and extends back on the neck ; and 
the legs of a yellow hue, approaching a flesh-color, and feathered to the ends 
of the toes. 

THE MALAYS. ■ 

This breed of fowls is very large and clumsy, and possesses no particular 
merits that we are aware of, unless it be in size. They are decidedly Shang- 
haeish in appearance and action. The usual hight of the cock is from 
twenty-six to twenty-eight inches, and weighs on an average from ten to 
twelve pounds. We reared the fowls in 1857 on a small scale, and found 
them in attitude uncouth, their gait being heavy and destitute of alertness. 
Wright says of this breed, that " in form and make they are as different 
from Cochins as can well be. They are exceedingly long in the neck and 




PAIR, OK MALAYS. 

legs, and the carriage is so upright that the back forms a steep incline. The 
wings are carried high, and project very much at the shoulders. Towards 
the tail, on the contrary, the body becomes narrow — the conformation being 
thus exactly opposite to that of the Shanghae. The tail is small, and that of 
the cock droops. The plumage is very close, firm, and glossy, more so than 
that of any other breed, giving to the bird a peculiar luster when viewed 
in the light. The colors vary very much. We consider pure white the most 
beautiful of all ; but the most usual is that well known under the title ol 
brown-breasted red game. The legs are yellow, but quite naked. The head 



THE PEOPLES PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



41 



and beak are long, the latter being rather hooked. Comb low and flat, cov- 
ered with small prominences like warts. Wattles and deaf-ears very small. 
Eye usually yellow. The whole face and a great part of the throat are red 
and naked, and the whole expression ' snaky ' and cruel. This is not belied 
by the real character of the breed, which is most ferocious, even more so than 
Game fowls, though inferior to the latter in real courage." 

THE FRIZZLED. 

We can find no difference between the " crisp-feathered " and French 
frizzled fowl. La yard says these fowls were first found in Batavia, but Tem- 
minck avers they are natives of Southern Asia, and are largely bred and 




TRIO OF FRIZZLED FOWLS. 

domesticated in Java, Sumatra, and on all the Philippine Islands. They are 
known by Brisson as Gallus crispus (frizzled fowl,) and as Gallus pennis 
revolutis (fowl with rolled-back feathers) by Linnaeus. The prevailing 
color of these birds is white, but there are many specimens variously colored 
with black and brown. We were highly impressed with their novel appear- 
ance, and, as Aldrovandus says in his description of them, two peculiarities 
of the cock attracted our particular attention and admiration. First, that 
the feathers of the wings had a contrary situation to those of other birds ; 
the side which in others is undermost or inmost, in this was turned outward, 



42 the people's practical poultry book. 

so that the whole wing appears inverted ; the other, that the feathers of the 
neck were reflected towards the head, like a crest or ruff, the whole tail 
feathers turning in the same manner. 

As near as we can learn, this variety of fowl does not possess any peculiar 
advantages over the common barn-yard breed, and is more interesting as a 
curiosity than valued for any practical purposes. They would undoubtedly 
thrive in our warm southern far better than in our cold northern climate. 
The hens make good mothers ; they breed freely with all other domestic 
fowls, and the offspring is prolific without end, the chicks being perfectly 
hardy, and make a good table fowl, though rather small. 

THE DORKINGS. 

In years gone by the Dorkings were the favorite fowls in this country, 
and the only reason we can assign for their degeneracy is the improper care 
they have received and the continual in-and-in breeding. To rear Dorkings 
profitably it is essential that a good, long runway should be provided on 
a clay or gravelly soil for the chicks. They never should be allowed to run 
on wooden or brick floors. If this is carefully attended to the chickens will 
thrive and grow well, and make hardy fowls. 

There are two species of these fowls — the white and the colored Dork- 
ings. The former is the favorite bird of old fanciers, and a writer in the 
Poultry (English) Chronicle makes the following remarks on this breed of 
fowls : — " The old Dorking, the pure Dorking, the only Dorking, is the 
White Surrey Dorking. It is of good size, compact and plump form, with 
short neck, short white legs, five toes, a full comb, a large breast, and a 
plumage of spotless white. They are hardy, lay well, and are excellent 
mothers." 

White Dorking. — We have reared the White Surrey Dorkings for a 
number of years, and fully coincide with the writer in the Chronicle. To 
our mind, no fowl is more essential to the farm-yard than the pure White 
Surrey Dorking. The first pen of Dorkings we ever experimented with were 
purchased of Judge S. S. Bowne, in 1852. His stock was procured from 
imported fowls of Dr. Eben Wight of Boston, who was at that time the 
largest breeder of fancy fowls in this country. Our experiments with the 
Dorking prove them to be fowls not to be despised. They are not early 
layers, but make up this deficiency in the number and quality of eggs they 
produce. They are easily fattened, and their flesh is of the very best quality. 

In speaking of the weight of the Dorking, the Practical Poultry Keeper 
says : — " It is difficult to give a standard ; but we consider that a cock which 
weighs less than ten pounds, or a hen under eight and a half pounds, would 
stand a poor chance at a first-class show." We have never, in our ex- 
perience, seen one brought to this weight, not even by high feeding. Our 
yearling fowls have often been brought to weigh from six to eight pounds. 

The practice of crossing Dorking pullets with a game cock is much in 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



43 



vogue, with the object of improving a worn out stock. This, however, would 
be better accomplished by procuring a fresh bird of the same kind, but not 
related. This cross shows itself in single combs, loss of a claw, or an occa- 
sional red feather, and, what is still more objectionable, in pale yellow legs, 




WHITE DORKING COCK. 

and a yellow circle about the beak. These are faults in the Dorking to be 
avoided by breeders generally. 

Silver Gray Dorking. — Among the breeds of colored Dorkings which 
are now attracting attention in this country with fanciers, is the Silver Gray 
variety. Nearly all authorities aver that this breed is a chance off-shoot from 
the White Dorking, the breed having been perpetuated by careful breeding. 
Still, colored birds frequently throw silver-gray chicks, but disappointments 



44 THE people's practical poultry book. 

are as often sure to follow in breeding for this cross, unless, when obtained, 
the strain is kept pure for years, as in the case of the Derby Red Game fowls. 
The only way to accomplish this is to remove all chicks from the pens that 
do not show the perfect markings of the parent stock. 

Mr. Hewitt of Sussex, says the colored Dorkings are decidedly the most 
useful of all fowls for general table purposes, and a very important point in 
the consideration of the Gray Dorkings is that they grow rapidly and are in 
good condition at almost any age, if at all freely supplied with food. The 
distinguishing colors of the Silver Gray Dorking cock are perfectly black 
breast, tail, and larger tail coverts ; the head, neck, hackle, back, saddle and 
wingbow a clear, pure, silvery white. Across the wings there should be a 




PAIR OIT GRAY DORKINGS. 

well-marked black bar, contrasting in a very striking, beautiful manner with 
the white outer web of the quill-feathers and the silvery white hackle and 
saddle. The breast of the hen should be of a salmon-red color, passing into 
gray towards the thighs. The neck a silvery white, striped with black ; the 
back silver gray, with the white of the shafts of the feathers distinctly 
marked ; the wings a silvery or slaty gray, and free from any tendency to 
redness ; the tail a dark gray, the inside nearly black. 

Dorkings, like other breeds of fowls, are apt to degenerate very fast from 
inter-breeding, therefore care should be taken to introduce fresh blood fre- 
quently, or disappointments are sure to follow. 



the people's practical poultry book. 45 

Mr. Douglas, an eminent English breeder, says he has found the dark- 
colored Dorkings the most hardy and heaviest in flesh. He once had a cock 
weighing fourteen and a half pounds at two years, and several hens at eleven 
pounds each. He claims that early Dorking pullets will lay all the winter, 
although not so freely as some other breeds. They lay from thirty-five to 
fifty eggs before wanting to sit. As mothers, they are perfectly docile, and 
allow themselves to be handled at will ; chickens from other hens may be 
placed with them, which they will take to at once. These fowls are not 
classed among the roamers, but are rather of the stay-at-homeativeness birds, 
therefore are of little trouble to the housewife, and can be easily reared. 

Fawn-colored Dorking. — A writer in one of the agricultural journals 
of New England gives the following description of the Fawn-colored and 
Black breed of Dorkings. He says the fawn-colored bird is made up of a 
cross between the White Dorking and the fawn-colored Turkish fowl. They 
are of lofty carriage, handsome and remarkably healthy. The cocks weigh 
from eight to nine pounds, and the hens from six to seven ; they come to 
maturity quite early for so large a fowl. Their tails are shorter and legs 
darker than those of othe,r Dorkings ; their flesh is fine and their eggs are 
very rich. It is conceded to be one of the best varieties of fowl known, as 
the size is readily increased without diminishing the fineness of the flesh. 

Black Dorking. — The Black Dorkings are said to be of large size, and 
of a jet black color. The neck feathers of some of the cocks are tinged with 
a bright gold color, and some of the hens bear a silvery complexion. Their 
combs are usually double, and very short, though sometimes cupped, rose or 
single, with quite small wattles, and are usually very red about the head. 
Their tail feathers shorter and broader than the White variety, and the chicks 
feather much slower. The legs of the Black are short and black, with the 
usual five toes on each foot, the bottom of which is frequently yellow. The 
two back toes are quite distinct, starting from the foot separately ; frequently 
showing an extra toe between the two. This breed commences laying when 
very young, and lay well during the winter season — the egg's being of a 
large size. The breed is perfectly hardy, and are good setters and attentive 
mothers to their young. 

THE HAMBURGS. 

This breed of fowls is considered a very useful and important denizen 
of our poultry-yard. We have bred them for years successfully and with 
little trouble. The hens are inveterate layers, and seldom desire to sit ; their 
propensity for laying being almost continuous from one molting season to 
another. This is undoubtedly owing to their confined condition in this 
country ; for it is said that when the birds have a free range, they frequently 
set themselves to the task of incubation with as much diligence as other 
fowls. 

Penciled Hamburg. — The penciled Hamburg, which is of two colors, 
golden and silver, is very minutely and beautifully marked. The cocks do 



46 



THE PEOPLE S PBACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 




PAIR OF SILVER-SPAN&LED HTAMBURGS. 

not exhibit the pencilings, but are white or brown in the golden or silver 
birds respectively. They should have bright double combs, which are firmly 
fixed upon the head, ending in a point which turns upward; well defined 




PAIR OF GOLDEN-SPANGLED HAMBURGS. 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



47 



deaf ears ; taper blue legs, and ample tails. The carriage of the cock is gay 
and majestic ; his shape is symmetrical, and appearance indicative of cheer- 
fulness. The hens, of both varieties, should have the body clearly penciled 
across with several bars of black, and the hackle in both sexes should be per- 
fectly free from dark marks. These birds are imported in lai'ge numbers 
from Holland to England, from whence we derived the breed ; but those now 
bred in this country are far superior to the imported bird both in size and 
beauty of plumage. 

Sp angled Hamburg. — Of the Speckled or Spangled variety, which is 




SILVER-SPANGLED POLAND GOCK. 

becoming a great favorite with many breeders in this country, there are two 
kinds - the Golden and Silver-Speckled. The general color of the former is 
golden, or orange-yellow, eac h feather having a glossy dark brown or black 
tip, particularly remarkable on the hackles of the cock and the wing-coverts, 
and also on the darker feathers of the breast. The plumage of the hen is 
yellow or orange-brown, and in like manner being marginal with glossy black. 
The Silver-Spangled breed is distinguished by the ground color of the 
feathers being of a silver white, with perhaps a tinge of straw yellow, every 
feather should, however, be margined with glossy black. Both of these 



48 



THE PEOPLE S PEACTIOAL POULTRY BOOK. 



varieties are extremely beautiful, commanding as they do, high prices. The 
hens in all cases proving prolific layers and non-setters. 

Black Hamburg. — This is one of the finest varieties of our black 
fowls — the plumage being of a beautiful black color with metallic luster. 
They possess the two-fold advantage of being noble-looking birds and ex- 
ceedingly good layers. On the whole, the Hamburg is a capital fowl, and 




SILVER-SPANGLED POLA-INTD HEIST. 

one which is deservedly highly valued. It has a good, robust constitution, 
and proves perfectly hardy in almost any climate. Though the eggs produced 
by this breed are not as large as those of some other breeds, still what they 
lack in size is made up in the number they produce during the year. 

THE POLANDS. 

There are several varieties of these fowls in this country, but those pos- 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



49 



sessing the most prominence among breeders are the Silver, Golden Spangled, 
White, Black, and Black with White top-knot. 

Silver-Spangled Poland. — We have bred this variety for several years, 
and find it one of the most desirable breeds for the poultry yard, proving 
with us perfectly hardy and " everlasting layers." The ground color of the 
plumage of the Silver-Spangled Poland should be a silver white, with well 
defined horseshoe-shaped black spangles. In the cock, the hackle feathers 
are white, edged and tipped with black ; in the hen, each hackle feather has 
a spangle on the end ; tail feathers clear white, with spangle on the end ; the 
spangles on the wing coverts are large and regular in both sexes, so as to 
form two well-defined bars across each wing. The proper spangle on the 
breast is all-important. The crest should be full and regular; feathers black 




pair of goldbn-spangled ipol^stds. 
at the base and tip, with white between. A few white feathers frequently 
appear after the second molt, in the very best hens. Ear-lobes small and 
white ; wattles, none, being usually replaced by a black or spangled beard. 
The weight of the cock is from six to seven and a half-pounds, while that of 
the hen is from four to five and a half pounds. Besides the moon-shaped 
spangles, many of the birds are shown with laced feathers — i. e., with an 
edging of black on the outline of the feathers, but thicker at the end. This 
marking, when perfect, is of exquisite beauty. Dr. Bennet says they cer- 
tainly rank among the very choicest and most beautiful of fowls, whether 
considered for their beauty or rarity. The newly hatched chickens are very 
pretty, creamy white, interspersed with slaty dun on the back, head and neck, 



50 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



marked with longitudinal stripes down the back, with black eyes, light lead, 
colored legs, and a swelling of the down on the crown of the head, indicative 
of the future top-knot, which is exactly the color of a powdered wig. At a 
very early age, they acquire their peculiar distinctive features, and are then 
the most elegant little miniature fowls it is possible to imagine. The distinc- 
tion of sex is not very manifest till they are nearly full grown, the first ob- 
servable indication being in the tail — that of the pullet is carried upright, as 
it should be, while the cockerel's remains depressed. 




PAIR OF WHITE-CRESTED BLAOK POLANDS. 

Golden-Spangled Poland. — This variety varies in the color of ita 
plumage from a light to a dark golden yellow, laced and spangled with a 
greenish luster black, and not unfrequently showing some part whitish feath- 
ers in their wings, tail and crest. Legs and feet usually blueish, sometimes 
verging on a greenish color ; ear-lobes blueish white. 

Black Poland. — The Black Polands are no strangers in this country, 
they having been bred as long ago as we can remember. In plumage they 
should be uniformly black (except crest,) although not unfrequently glossed 
with metallic green, which, in contrast with the deep red wattles and hand- 
some crest of white feathers, gives them a very unique appearance. Their legs 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



51 



are usually dark colored, although through too close breeding, flesh-colored 
and even yellowish legs will show themselves ; but those with darkish legs 
are to be preferred. Often times the cock will have some whitish feathers in 
the tail, which by some is thought to be a sure sign of pure breeding. 

White-Crested Black Poland. — The White-crested Black is of a 
glossy black color ; body short, round and plump ; legs shortish and of black 
or leaden color ; full wattles of a bright red ; ear-lobes pure white ; hackle, 
saddle and tail have bright reflections ; crest is of pure white, regular and 
full. These birds weigh from five to six pounds. 

White-Crested White Poland. — The pure White-crested White Po- 
lands are very hardy ; have no wattles, but have a well-developed beard in 
lieu thereof. They, like all Polish breeds, are " everlasting layers," and non- 
setters. There may be seen occa- 
sionally Blue, Gray and Cuckoo 
Polands, but they are off-shoots, or 
the result of crossing, and have 
no qualifications worthy of par- 
ticular notice. 

THE LEGHORNS. 

It is said that this breed of 
fowls was imported from Leghorn, 
Italy, only a few years since, but 
has been bred to such perfection 
in this country that there has been 
a distinctive breed made, and be- 
come, as it were, Americanized. 
They are scarcely known in Eng- 
land, but are highly prized by 
American breeders for their many 
good qualities. They are bred of 
nearly all colors save black — the 
White, however, receiving the 
preference. The imported birds 
are not inferior to the American 
standard of excellence. The white 
variety being similar to the Spanish 
in size and appearance, except in the plumage, which is white, with hackle 
or neck and saddle feathers slightly tinged with gold. They have proved 
thus far very hardy birds, suffering from the sudden changes and severe 
weather of our northern and western climate much less than the Spanish, 
with which breed many deem them closely allied. They are extremely 
good layers, and seldom desire to set. The young are easy to rear ; they 
feather up soon, and at the age of six or eight weeks are miniature 




PAIR OP WHITE LEGHORNS. 



52 THE people's practical poultry book. 

chickens — that is, perfectly feathered, and as sprightly as many chicks are 
at four months of age. The hens are considered excellent winter layers, 
and will lay as large a number of eggs in a year as any fowls known, not 
excepting the Polands or Hamburgs. They are hardy, medium sized fowls, 
of a quiet and docile disposition ; persistent layers of a rich, meaty egg ; 
pure white color, though in some flocks occasional colored feathers will 
appear ; these should at once be discarded from the pen, if it is desirable 
to breed the pure white bird. Their legs and skin should be of a yellow 
color. They lay a smaller egg than the Spanish, but mature earlier, and 




I>A.IIt OF EARL JDER-BY GAMES. 

are much superior for the table. The cocks have large single combs, 
which should stand perfectly erect ; full wattles and large, cream-colored 
or white ear-lobes, extending sometimes upon their face. The carriage of 
both cock and hen is proud and dignified. The hens have usually large combs, 
which frequently lop over like the Spanish. From what we have read 
and seen of this breed of fowls we consider them a great and valuable 
acquisition to the poultry-yard. 

THE GAMES. 

The varieties of so-called game fowls are almost innumerable. Many are 
unworthy of the name or the prefix. A well-bred game cock should be a 
neat, trim fowl, feathers close and glossy, head small, neck well set on his 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



53 



shoulders, toes lengthy, body erect and straight, strong on thigh, quick in 
motion, and willing to die for his flock rather than yield to an opponent. 
Game hens possess the same general qualifications. They should be excellent 
layers and sitters, and for rearing chicks they are considered superior ; they 
are hardy, strong, and transmit these peculiar traits, as a general thing, to 
their offspring. 

The flesh of the Game fowl is fine and sweet, and is esteemed of a de- 
cidedly rich flavor. In this breed almost all shades of feathers are allowable, 
black-reds perhaps being most common, although jet blacks, pure whites, 
grays, ginger-reds, spangles, or pied, and various blendings of colors called 
piles, have their respective admirers, as the fancy of the breeder dictates. 
The breeds also are numerous; those of English, Irish, Mexican, Spanish, 
Cuban, Malay and other nationalities claiming equal attention with fanciers 
in their respective localities. 




PAIR OF BLACK-RED GAMES. 

Earl Derby Game. — This is an old breed, one which has been given the 
preference for years, and from which the black-breasted reds undoubtedly 
originated. The best information that we can gather relative to this breed 
is that they were originally imported from Knowlsley, Eng., where they have 
been bred with great care for upwards of one hundred years, in all their 
purity. The cock is of good round shape, well put together ; the head being 
long, with daw-eyes, long and strong neck ; hackle well feathered, touching 



54 THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

the shoulders ; wings large and well quilled ; back short ; belly round and 
black ; tail long and sickled, being well tufted at the root — thick, short, and 
stiff; legs rather long, with white feet and nails, the latter being free from 
all coarseness. The required " Daw-eye " is that which resembles the gray 
eye of the jackdaw. Their distinctive features are the white beak, feet, and 
claws, essential to every bird claiming descent from that illustrious stock. 
The red Derby Game cock should have a bright red face; breast and 
thighs coal black ; hackle and saddle feathers light orange-red ; back, intense 
brown-red, a depth of color that painters term dragon's blood ; lesser wing- 
coverts maroon colored ; greater wing-coverts marked at the extremity with 
steel-blue, forming a bar across the wings ; primary wing-feathers bay ; tail 
iridescent black. It seems a peculiarity in these fowls that one at least of 
the pinion feathers is marked with white. The sex of the chickens can 
readily be distinguished when only a few weeks old. The beak, legs and 
feet are uniformly white. Martin remarks that " through the whole cata- 
logue of game fowls the male birds are by far the most conspicuous in 
plumage ;" and this remark proves true in regard to the Derby breed, for 
wherever mere color has given the name of a class, the markings of the cock 
explain the reason. The Black-breasted red hens possess little of their con- 
sort's brilliancy of feather, though these are of much lighter colors than the 
red-breasted hen — a fact in strange opposition to the plumage of the respec- 
tive male birds. Beeton's Poultry Book thus describes the perfect mark- 
ings of the Lord Derby game hen : — " Head fine and tapering ; face, wattles, 
and comb bright red; extremities of upper mandible and the greater portion 
of the lower one white, but dusky at its base and around its nostrils ; chest- 
nut-brown around the eyes, continued beneath the throat ; shaft of neck- 
hackle light buff; web pale brown, edged with black ; breast shaded with 
roan and fawn-color ; belly and vent of an ash tint ; back and wing-coverts 
partridge-colored; primary wing-feathers and tail black, the latter carried 
vertically and widely-expanded ; legs, feet and nails perfectly white." The 
carriage of both cock and hen of this breed is upright and dignified. The 
pugnacious disposition of the cock equals that of any other game bird ; and 
its endurance cannot be surpassed ; years agone they were numbered among 
the best breed of birds for the cock-pit ; and for the table they are not sur- 
passed by the sweet and nutritious flesh of the Dorking fowl. 

Duck-Wing Game. — The pure Duck-wing Game fowls are the Silver 
Grays — though there are Yellow or Birchen Duck-wings, but the blood of 
the first mentioned is much purer than the other variety, and it is considered 
a much finer, hardier, and more pugnacious bird. The cock should be of a 
silver gray color ; hackle striped, with black underneath, but clear above ; 
back bright silver gray ; breast clear, mealy silver gray color ; wing crossed 
with a steel blue bar, the lower part of a creamy white ; tail greenish glossy 
black. The plumage of the hen should be of a silvery blueish gray, thickly 
frosted with silver ; breast pale fawn-color ; neck-hackle silvery white, striped 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTPvY BOOK. 55 

with black. The comb and face in both sexes are of a bright red. The legs 
of the silver gray should be white ; eyes red and skin white. 

The Yellow Duck- Wings. — The Yellow Duck-wing Game fowl is of 
straw or birchen color, with copper-colored saddle ; skin yellow, and willow 
or yellow legs. The cock's breast, in this variety, is always black, while that 
of the hen is fawn-colored. The weight of the cocks of the Duck- wing 
variety of game birds varies from four to six pounds, while that of the hens 
exceeds that of the cocks. 



PAIR, Olf DUCK-WING GAMES. 

Duck- Wing Bantams. — In courage and endurance the Bantams are not 
behind their larger relatives, and in constitution they are much hardier than 
any other of the Bantam breeds. The plumage of the Duck-wing Bantams is 
precisely similar to that of the larger breed, from which they were undoubtedly 
obtained, by long inter-breeding with the smallest specimens. The carriage 
and form are also similar ; but the drooping wing of the Bantam breed is not 
to be observed in the game variety. In weight the cock does not exceed one 
and a half pounds, while that of the hen is about twenty ounces. Game 
fowls can be as easily kept on a "town lot" as any other breed, and with as 
little trouble. If they are well fed, and proper care taken of them, they are 
not pre-disposed to roam, but remain quietly at home. 

Salmon Pile Game. — Coloring of hens is a buff or straw color, under- 
lined with white, and has a rich creamy or salmon-colored look ; although 
some specimens are shaded more or less with red or light wine cast. Cocks 
at maturity are beautiful, and in hackle and sickle featherings would be ob- 
served as peculiar to this variety. There are but few fanciers who have 



56 the people's practical poultry book. 

shown birds of this variety, to our knowledge, in this country; they claim 
for them, however, great excellence, as producers of eggs and for 
table qualities. 

Dominique Games take their names from fowls which are common on 
the Island of Dominica, and in feathering, especially on cocks, are really very 
beautiful. They are long and rangy in body, well set up or stationed, high, 
fine heads, and invariably possess thin single combs, free from tassel or head- 
feathers, while neck-hackle or shawl is made up of long fringe-like feathers, 
quite uniformly dotted or penciled — so too of the tail hackles. The hens 
are quite uniform in feathering, although they have more subdued colors. 
They are very hardy fowls and most prolific layers. Flesh is yellow, and as 
in almost all of the game varieties, of fine grain and excellent flavor. This 
variety of fowl is said to be quite scarce in this country. 

Georgian Game. — This well known variety of fowls came originally 
from Europe, brought over by a gentleman Avho was a native of Geor- 
gia, and celebrated in his time for the reputation his game fowls made 
for him in sporting circles South. The breed is now generally recognized by 
most of the poultry clubs, and ranks high with many leading fanciers. They 
are claimed to have superior laying and table qualities, hardiness, courage, 
(and what no one will question who has ever seen them,) beauty of plumage, 
shape and carriage. They are well calculated to stand the rigors of our 
northern climate, and must be admirably adapted to our warm and genial 
southern clime. 

The Malay Game. — Mr. Darwin, in his new work " On the variations 
In Animals," claims distinctly that the Malay has been bred for years as a 
game fowl in India ; is noted for its courage and endurance ; proves suc- 
cessful in the cock-pits of India and adjacent islands. He says they are a 
small breed of fowls, and are designated in Europe as the " Indian Games ;" 
but in reality are of the original Malay species of game fowls. Mr. Hewitt 
says he is " not aware of any variety of fowl so cruel, oppressive, and vin- 
dictive as Malays ; they are literally the tyrants of the poultry-yard." We 
bred the red Malay years ago, and found that the cocks evinced such a pug- 
nacious disposition that we were glad to get rid of them. In our experience 
with this breed we found nothing commendable in thern for the amateur or 
fancier ; the hens proving only ordinary layers, while neither the plumage or 
build of the cock is attractive. 

Spanish Game. — This variety of game fowl is claimed by some writers 
to be of English origin. It is more slender in the body, the neck, the bill 
and the legs, than any other variety, and the colors, particularly of the cock, 
are very bright and showy. The flesh is white, tender and delicate, and on 
this account marketable ; the eggs are small, and extremely delicate. The 
plumage is exceedingly beautiful — a clear dark-red, very bright, extending 
from the back to the extremities, while the breast shows a splendid black 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 




BDACK-BREASTED RED GAME BANTAMS. 



color. The upper convex side of the wing is equally red and black, and 
the whole of the tail-feathers white. The beak and legs are black ; the eyes 
resemble jet beads ; very full and brilliant ; 
and the whole contour of the head gives 
a most ferocious expression. 

Brown-Reds. — This breed of fowls has 
been long bred perfect in outline, and is 
considered one of our most desirable game 
birds. The breast of the cock should be 
red-brown, shoulders frequently of orange- 
red ; comb and face dark purple ; beak also 
dark; wing-butts dark-red or brown; legs 
blackish brown, with dark talons; hackle, 
with dark stripes; thighs like the breast; 
tail a dark, greenish black, and the wing 
should be crossed with a glossy green bar. 
The plumage of the hen should be, as a 
general thing, of a very dark brown color, 
and penciled with light brown ; neck- 
hackle dark, golden, copper-red, thickly 
striped with dark feathers ; comb and face 
much darker than that of the cock. The 
tail-feathers of the hens should show a slight curve; if they are spurred so 
much the better. 

Black-Breasted Red is another breed of game that has its hosts of 
admirers. The plumage of this bird, as its name signifies, should be of a 
bright red, deeper on the body than in the hackle. Red eyes denote pure 
blood — any other colored eye in this breed stamps it as a cross. The cock's 
hackle is striped underneath, but never above ; the comb and wattles bright 
red ; the wings are of the 
same color in the upper part, 
and rich red chestnut in the 
lower, with steel blue bar 
across ; breast bluish-black, 
with glossy reflections ; 
thighs the same; tail green- 
ish black, without much 
down at the roots of the 
feathers; legs are usually 
willow in color. The hen 
should be of a rich par- 
tridge - brown, with red, 

r. ' , -, -, , DTJCK-WING GAME BANTAMS. 

tawn-colored breast; red- 
dish golden hackle with dark stripes. There are several other game fowls 




58 THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

which have their friends and admirers in this country, such as White, Black, 
Gray, Dark Gray and Piles of all colors, but those considered of most merit 
by breeders are given in their order. 

Pile Game. — The plumage of these fowls should have a proportion of 
white as one of its compound colors. The cocks of all the various strains 
of Piles are red and white, yellow and white, in one or other of the shades 
of those colors. The best Piles are bred by crossing red and white game, 
but may also be bred from a Pile cock and Pile hens. Some of the best and 
purest may be bred from a Spangled cock and White hen. The object of the 
breeder, particularly of show birds, should be to get the colors of the cocks 
as distinct and as brilliant as possible. 

THE BOLTON GRAYS. 

This breed of fowls derives its name from having first been successfully 
raised in and near Bolton, England. They are now found in almost all large 
poultry-yards in America, as well as in Europe. They are also known in some 
parts of the United States as the Creole fowl, from the mottled appearance 
of the hen, whose every feather is delicately marked with alternate bands of 
black and white, legs and feet a light blue, and very short. The neck-hackle 
is white. The cock's plumage is different from the above in many respects, 
his feathers being nearly white. His tail is black, and legs and feet the color 
of those of the hen, but are much longer. In weight he is less than the hen. 
Those of our own raising weigh about five pounds to the hen, and about 
three and a half or four pounds to the cock. One singular peculiarity of the 
hens of this breed is that they are furnished with spurs over an inch in length, 
while those of the cock are much shorter. The Bolton Grays begin laying 
early in February, and continue throughout the year. If well fed, they will 
lay all the year round. Their eggs are below the average size ; but what 
they lack in size is made up in number. As a breed, they are exceedingly 
hardy, and thrive where many breeds would perish. They are not good sit- 
ters, and their eggs must be set under some other fowl. They are never 
inclined to wander away from their coops. 

THE BLACK SPANISH. 

This is one of our best black breeds of fowls, laying as they do a large 
sized and meaty egg. The cock should carry himself very stately and up- 
right, the breast well projecting, and the tail standing well up. The sickle- 
feathers should be perfect and fully developed, and the whole plumage a 
dense jet black, with glossy reflections in the light. The hen should be 
equally dense in color, but is much less glossy. Any white or speckled 
feathers, which now and then occur, are fatal faults. The legs should be 
blue, or dark lead-color; any approach to white is decidedly bad. The legs 
of both sexes are long, but the fowl should nevertheless be plump and heavy. 
The comb inust be large in both sexes, and of a bright vermillion color. 
That of the hen should fall completely over on one side ; but the cock's comb 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



59 



must be perfectly upright. The indentation also must be regular and even, 
and the whole comb, though very large, quite free from any appearance of 
coarseness. Any sign of a twist in front is a great fault. The most im- 




portant point, however, is the white face. This should extend as high as 
possible over the eye, and be as wide and deep as possible. At the top it 
should be neatly arched in shape, approaching the Lottom of the comb as 



60 the people's practical poultry book. 

nearly as possible, and reaching sideways to the ear-lobes and wattles, meet- 
ing also under the throat. In texture the face ought to be as fine and smooth 
as possible. The ears are large and pendulous, and should be as white as 
the face. Any fowls with red specks in the face are considered very faulty. 

Wright says the other principal varieties of Spanish fowls are Minorca or 
Red-faced Black, the White, the Blue or Andalusian, and the Ancona, Gray, 
or mottled breed. The plumage of the White Spanish is of snowy white- 
ness and resembles somewhat the White Leghorn. We found the Spanish 
in Western New- York to be very susceptible to disease, and great care was 
necessary to keep their combs and wattles from being frost-bitten. In a 
warm climate, we dare say, the Spanish as a class cannot be beaten. They 
do not do well in confinement; they are predisposed to roam; such has been 
our experience with them. 

THE PLYMOUTH ROCKS. 

This breed of fowls we hardly think is known outside of the New Eng- 
land States. It is said the Plymouth Iiock is produced by crossing a Cochin 
China cock with a hen, a cross between the Fawn-colored Dorking, the great 
Malay, and the Wild Indian. The cock has been bred to stand, at a year 
old, from twenty to twenty-five inches high, and weigh from eight to ten 
pounds ; the pullets from six to seven pounds each. Generally speaking, the 
pullets are very early layers ; commencing at five months of age and con- 
tinue to lay until the molting season. They lay a medium sized egg, of a 
rich and reddish-yellow color. The plumage .of these fowls is very rich and 
variegated, showing ofi" in the sun the most brilliant hues. The cocks are 
usually of a beautiful red or speckled color, and the hens of a darkish brown. 
Some of the colors thrown by this breed are not dissimilar to the Dominique 
fowl. They have very fine flesh, and are fit for the table at an early age. 
The legs are quite large, and usually blue or green, but occasionally yellow 
or even white, and frequently having five toes upon each foot. Some of the 
varieties have the legs occasionally slightly feathered. They have large 
single rose-colored or red combs and wattles ; cheeks are rather large ; tails 
stout and short, and very small wings in proportion to their bodies. The 
chicks are quite hardy and have the same uniformity in size and appearance 
as those of the pure bloods of primary races. The hens make good mothers 
and close setters. 

THE JERSEY BLUES. 

These fowls were bred to some extent twenty years ago, and were 
deemed by many a very valuable breed. In 1855 we bred them for a time, 
but finding them possessed of no superior qualities, discarded them for the 
White Shanghaes. The color of the Jersey Blue is a light blue, sometimes 
approaching a dun ; the tail and wings rather shorter than those of the com- 
mon fowl ; the legs are generally black, though we have bred them of a dark 
blue color, somewhat lightly feathered. They proved with us perfectly 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



61 



hardy, but were not prolific egg-producers. The cocks at a year old weigh 
from six to eight pounds, while the hens weigh from five to seven pounds ; 
flesh rather coarse, stringy and unnutritious. 



THE FRENCH BEEEDS. 



The French breeds of fowls lately introduced in this country may be 
classed as first, the Houdan, second, the Creve-Cceurs, and third, the La 
Fleche. The de Bresse, du Mans, de Breda, Courte Pattes, and the more 




PAIR OF HOUDANS. 

ornamental, as the Padoue, Chamois, Hermines and Hallandais are known 
only in this country by name. The Houdan and Creve-Coeurs are bred to 
some considerable extent in this country, but the La Fleche has not as yet 
been raised with sufficient productiveness or hardihood among us to be fully 
appreciated. We think they may be successfully bred in our warm and 
genial southern climate, for when once reared they stand second to none as a 
table fowl, or layers of very large eggs. 

The Houdasts. — These birds derive their name from a village in France, 
where they were originated. They are held in as high estimation in France 



02 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



as the Dorkings are in England. This breed needs no inducement to increase 
and multiply, for they are easily reared and fattened, and being constant 
layers of good sized eggs, with the quality of the flesh fine, they are a de- 
sirable fowl for the poultry keeper to breed. They possess vivacity tending 
to wildness, bearing confinement and enjoying liberty with spirits that never 
flag; they are "bright as a flower and upright as a bolt." At shows it is 
required of them to possess the fifth toe, and perpetuate the useless mon- 
strosity of their semi-original, the Dorking, from whom and the silver 




PAIR OF CREVE-CCEURS. 

Padoue they are doubtless descended. Color rocky white and black; an 
even speckled proportion of each preferred. Occasional stained feathers 
appear in the purest blood, but red ones tend to disqualify. The head is 
crowned with a fierce tuft, and on the front rises a horned or double-leafed 
comb, the center having the appearance of an ill-shaped long strawberry. 
The whiskers and beard are striking, growing well up on the face of both 
cock and hen. The legs are spotted leaden grey. The hen's crest should be 
thick and full, showing as little comb as possible. The coup cfaeil of a com- 
pany of these birds is most brilliant, and it is to be hoped that their weight 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



63 



(as yet but moderate) may in time approximate to that of the Dorking, 
whose contour and volume they imitate. 

The Creve-Ccetjrs. — The Creve-Coeurs are of bold mien and grave as- 
pect, with black plumage glistening with green ; crested heads lighted up 
with crimson-colored, antler-like comb. Their contour strikes the observer 




with the idea of usefulness and dignity, nor is the notion illusory; short- 
legged, heavy, with little offal, much aptitude to fatten, and (save when very 
newly imported) sufficiently robust, steady egg-producers, and growing to 
adolescence with moderate care, they merit our careful regard. To go into 
detail, the crest of the cock should be formed of lancet-like feathers, fairly 



64 the people's practical poultry book. 

raised ; not too regularly placed ; the comb should be full and large, regu- 
larly irregular, with pendent and long wattles, voluminous and deep beard, 
thick plumage, especially on the breast, full tail, horizontal back, short legs 
of a leaden-blue color, firm claws. The crest of the hen is more round, soft, 
and thick ; the less appearance of comb or wattles the better. Though a 
perfect blackness of color is required in both sexes, the very best specimens 
will show a white feather or two in the crest as age advances, but red or 
straw colored streaks are not tolerated among the aristocracy of the breed. 
They came originally from Normandy, principally the county d'Ange, where 
lies the pretty village of Creve-Cceur. 




PAIR OF GUELDERS. 

The La Fleche. — The La Fleche is a Malay in hight, a Spanish in color, 
and a Dorking in size. It possesses a firmly knit, angular body, poised 
proudly on long, nervous, strong limbs, not showing the bird's complete size, 
owing to the closeness of his feathering ; a little spike of feathers is placed 
behind the comb, which appears as a double horn; the aspect of a rhinoceros 
is given to the head by a dwarf protuberance between the nostrils, which are 
much expanded ; very long pendant wattles ; large opaque white ear-lobes, 
expanding in a cravat ; gently ciirved strong beak ; neck-hackles long and 
fine, reflecting, as well as the feathers of breast, wing and upper tail, violet 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 65 

and green black ; color not so bright below ; claws especially strong ; legs 
slaty blue, and in age leaden gray. Hen identical, but somewhat smaller, 
with less comb, ear-lobe and wattles. She grows for twelve months, the 
cock for eighteen; and it is this continuity of growth that enables the 
breeder of this superb table fowl in France to obtain a golden price for his 
spring lots. The young feather slowly. They are raised on the commons of 
the arrondissement of La Fleche. 

THE GUELDERS. , .' 

This variety of fowls is as yet very little known in this country, but 
what we can learn of their qualities, from those who have experimented with 
them, we are led to believe, after they have become acclimated, they will 
prove a very desirable breed. These birds were first found in Holland and 
Belgium, and are known in those countries as Guelderlands, being so called 
after a province in Holland, lying south of the Zuyder-Zee. There are 
White, Black and Cuckoo Guelders bred in this country. A gentleman of 
our acquaintance, who has bred these birds for the last two or three years, 
considers them superior to any of the French fowls, and in some respects 
prefers them to Houdans. 

The Guelders are of medium size, with full, prominent breasts, and large 
flowing tails. Their peculiar characteristics are in the head, which is desti- 
tute of either feathers, crest or comb, the latter is very peculiar in shape, 
being hollowed or depressed instead of projecting, with two prominent spikes 
on each side of the back of the comb. To breed them to the standard, they 
should not have any comb whatever, except the two little spikes project- 
ing. Cheeks and ear-lobes red ; wattles red, and in the cock very long and 
pendulous. The beak in the White should be of a milk-white color. The 
thighs well furnished and vulture hocked, and the shanks of the legs feath- 
ered to the toes, though not heavily. The plumage is close and compact, 
resembling very much that of the Game fowl, which makes them appear, in 
size, much smaller than they really are; the color of the plumage in one is 
pure white, and in the other pure black. To produce the Cuckoo-colored 
bird a Black Guelder cock should be placed with a White Guelder hen. By 
this cross Cuckoo-colored birds of a beautiful variety have been thrown. It 
is said that the Guelders, thus far, have withstood our cold and changeable 
northern climate equally as well as the Asiatic breeds ; have proved very 
hardy and less susceptible to sickness than any other class of fowls. They 
are small eaters, lay a large, smooth-shelled egg, and seldom desire to sit. 
As egg-producers, especially in cold weather, it is asserted they are not sur- 
passed even by the Leghorn, and lay throughout the year more eggs than 
any other breed of fowls. Their flesh is nearly as delicate and juicy as that 
of the Houdan. The chicks are easily reared, under ordinary circumstances, 
and feather up very quickly. 

5 



66 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



THE DOMINIQUE. 

In speaking of these fowls, Mr. Bement says " they are distinguished as 
Dominique by their markings and their color, which is generally considered 
an indication of hardiness and fecundity. They are by some called ' Hawk- 
colored fowls ' from their resemblance to the birds of that name. We sel- 
dom see bad hens of this variety, and, take them, all in all, we do not hesi- 
tate in pronouncing them one of the best and most profitable breed of fowls, 
being hardy, good layers, careful nurses, and affording excellent eggs and 
first quality flesh." Dr. Bennett, in his description of the Dominique, 




DOMINIQUE COCK. 

says: — "The prevailing and true color of the Dominique fowl is a light 
ground, undulated and softly shaded with a slaty blue all over the body, (as 
indicated in the portrait of the cock herewith given,) forming bands of 
various widths ; the comb of the cock is variable, some being single, while 
others are double — most, however, are single ; the iris, bright orange ; feet 
and legs are bright yellow or buff color ; bill the same color as the legs." 
Browne's Poultry Yard remarks that they are not only good layers, sitters 
and nurses, but that " their beautiful appearance, when in full plumage, is 
quite an acquisition to the farm-yard or lawn." Taken all in all we consider 
them one of our very best breeds of native fowls, and one that alters little by 
in-and-in breeding. 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



67 



THE BANTAMS. 



Since the first introduction of the Bantam breed of fowls they have rami- 
fied into many varieties, none of which are destitute of elegance, while some, 




IAjSTTAjMS. 



TRIO OF SILVER, SEBRIGHT 

indeed, are remarkably beautiful. All are, or ought to be, of small size, but 
lively and vigorous, exhibiting in their movements both grace and stateliness. 




TRIO OF PEKIN OR COCHIN BA.NTAMS. 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



The feather-legged Bantam is very remarkable for the tarsi, or beams of the 
legs, being plumed to the toes with stiff, long feathers which brush the 
ground. The black-breasted reds are considered fine birds. They are red in 
color, with a black breast and single dentated comb. The tarsi are smooth, 
and of a dusky blue. When this breed are bred pure, it yields in spirit and 
courage to none, and is, in fact, a game fowl in miniature, being as beautiful 
and graceful as it is brave. A pure white Bantam is also a beautiful bird, 
and as courageous as it is beautiful. The Golden and Silver Sebrights, the 
Nankeen and Pekin Cochins are also remarkably handsome birds, as are also 
the Black Bantams. 

Golden and Silver Sebright Bantams. — The plumage of the Golden 
Sebright is of golden color, and the Silver Sebright of a silver white, with a 
glossy jet black margin ; the cocks have the tail folded like that of the hen, 

with the sickle feathers shortened 
or nearly straight, and broader than 
usual. 

Black Bantams. — The plumage 
of the Black Bantam is a uniform 
black in color, resembling that of 
the Black Spanish ; tail of the cock 
arched ; legs short, dark blue or 
black, and perfectly clean ; comb a 
bright red ; ear-lobes white ; face 
red. Hen not to exceed eighteen 
and the cock twenty ounces. 

White Bantams. — The plumage 
of the White Bantam is pure white, 
with legs white and well feathered. 
They should not exceed two pounds 

GOLDEN SEBRIGHT BANTAMS. tUepail. 

Pekin or Cochin Bantams. — This most remarkable of all the numerous 
breeds of Bantams was first introduced in England in 1862 or '03, and one 
or two pairs have been shown in this country. It is said the original pro- 
genitors were stolen from the Summer Palace, at Pekin. They partake some- 
what of the habits of the Cochin Chinas, and resemble Buff Cochins very 
much in color and form, possessing the feather-leg, abundant fluff, presenting, 
as the engraving shows,' a most singular appearance. To breed them perfect 
birds in this country, will require great skill ; still, by being crossed with 
other breeds of feather-legged Bantams, to introduce fresh blood, and then 
breeding back to the pure strain, may have the desired effect. The Pekin 
Bantams are very tame, the hens are good sitters and mothers ; the males 
even take a share in brooding the chicks. Their novelty will undoubtedlv 
make them great pets among bird fanciers. 




THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



69 



The Japanese Bantam is said to have been imported from Japan. They 
are very short legged, and have a large single comb. In color some are mot- 
tled; others have a pure white body, with a glossy, jet-black tail. This 
variety is very pretty. As a whole, the Bantams, though small, are not 
without their good qualities. 

THE SILKY. 

This variety of fowls, as we learn from the Practical Poultry Keeper, 
possesses two distinct peculiarities. The webs of the feathers have no ad- 
hesion, and the plumage is therefore " silky," or consisting of a number of 
single filaments, which makes the bird appear much larger than it really is, 




FAIR, OF SILKY FOWLS. 

the actual weight of the cock being generally under three pounds, and of the 
hen about two pounds. The color is usually pure white, but other colors are 
occasionally seen. The second peculiarity is the dark tint of the bones and 
skin, from which the name of " negro " fowls is derived. The skin is of a 
very dark violet color, approaching to black, even the comb and wattles 
being a dull dark purple. The bones also are covered with a nearly black 
membrane, which makes the fowl anything but pleasant to look at upon the 
table ; but if the natural repugnance to this can be overcome, the meat itself 
is white, and very good eating ; indeed superior to that of most other breeds. 
The plumage is often so excessively developed as to give the birds a most 
grotesque appearance. Our illustration is not in the least exaggerated, and 
is a good representation of many specimens of the breed. The comb varies 
in shape ; but a Malay comb is best. There is generally a small crest on the 



70 THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

top of the head. The legs are mostly well feathered to the ground, and often 
have five toes ; but neither point is universal. The sole value of the Silky 
fowl is as a mother to Bantams, or other small and delicate chickens, such as 
pheasants or partridges. For such purposes they are unequaled, the loose 
long plumage affording the most perfect shelter possible. They are, of 
course, peculiarly susceptible to cold or wet, and have no other value than 
that stated, except from their singular and not unornamental appearance. 

THE BLACK JAVAS. 

This species of birds are said to be among the most valuable breeds of 
this country, and are frequently described as Spanish fowls. Their plumage 
is of a black or dark auburn color ; legs large and thick ; single comb and 
wattles. They are prolific layers, their eggs being large and as well flavored 
as those of the Black Spanish. They are a perfectly hardy breed and easily 
reared. 




OLD FARMER FOGi-Y'S FOWLS. 



TURKEYS -MANAGEMENT AND DIFFERENT BREEDS, 



PECULIARITIES OP THE TURKEY. 

That the turkey has some singular peculiarities in its nature cannot well 
be gainsayed. Among them may be mentioned its uncommon tenderness 
when young, and its unqualified hardiness when full-grown. Nothing in the 
poultry yard is so tender, delicate, and so easily destroyed when first hatched 
as the turkey. It is easily chilled, past recovery, by cold or storms, and yet, 
when full-grown, it will endure some of the most severe and pelting storms of 
mid-winter. We have seen them roost high on the apple trees, during a 
fierce north-easter, with the snow and ice collecting upon their heads, appa- 
rently unconcerned about shelter or protection. 

THE REARING OP TURKEYS. 

The rearing of turkeys should be one of the duties of our farm-house 
wives, for the turkey is a part of our rural and domestic economy. In 
our opinion, no farm yard seems complete without having therein a few 
turkeys commingling with other fowls, for they, next to the common fowl, 
are the most useful and valuable of our domestic birds ; still, to rear them 
successfully requires patience as well as great care in the management of 
their young. 

HATCHING OP TURKEYS. 

To rear a brood of turkeys with any kind of certainty of success, the 
eggs should be placed under the common barn-yard fowl, or, perhaps, as 
the Brahma makes a good mother, a hen of that breed will answer as well. 
We would advise, by all means, not to have the eggs set under the hen 
turkey — though they are inveterate sitters, they are poor mothers, and it 
is ten chances to one if they will prove successful, with their roaming habits, 
in rearing their young. The mother never proves a good provider for them ; 
she never scratches for her young like the hen, but generally leaves them to 
shift for themselves as soon as hatched. The young, at the moment of 
their birth, give no sign of seeking their food, — but, being reared by a 
common hen, whose instincts lead her to scratch and peck for her chicks — 
the young turkeys soon learn to imitate her example, which determines 



72 the people's practical poultry book. 

them to pick up their food and keeps them from starving to death, as 
they naturally do when left to he provided for by the hen turkey. 

treatment op the young. 

Turkeys, when young, are quite tender, and need generally more than 
the " slip-shod " or " make-shift " attention awarded them by many farmers. 
The first and most essential thing after hatching is to keep them in a dry 
and warm location. It usually takes from thirty to thirty-two days for the 
eggs to hatch. As they are hatched the hen or hen turkey, in which ever 
case it may be, should be placed in a coop with her young brood. We should 
recommend the " rat-proof" coop to all breeders. For the first three or 
four weeks after hatching, great care should be taken by the breeder to keep 
them from the scorching sun, drenching rains, and the heavy morning and 
evening dews ; and this is why the young should be placed in the " rat- 
proof" coop — that they may be kept dry. Moisture, internal or external, is 
generally certain death to chickens ; cleanliness of the coops should be rigor- 
ously observed ; dry, gravelly land is the most proper place to keep them on ; 
avoid all grass-plats with the movable coop. The chicks should never be 
allowed to leave the coop in the morning until the dew is off the grass ; be 
sure to coop them in wet and unpleasant weather. The American Poul- 
terer' 's Companion suggests that as soon as the young ones are removed from 
the nest, they be immersed in a strong decoction of tobacco, taking care, of 
course, that the fluid does not enter the mouth or eyes of the chick, and 
repeat the operation whenever they appear to droop. 

THE CRITICAL PERIOD OF THEIR LIVES. 

At two periods of their lives, young turkeys need more care than at 
others. The first is about the third day after they are hatched ; and also when 
they throw out what is termed the " redhead," which they do at six weeks of 
age. This is a very critical period for young turkeys, much more so than at 
the period of molting; at this time, therefore, their food must be increased, and 
rendered more nutritious, by adding boiled eggs, wheaten flour, or bruised 
hemp seed. The English breeder succeeds well by feeding his brood a 
"mush," made of equal parts of cooked oat and barley meal. This crisis 
once passed, the birds may be regarded as past danger, and exchange the 
name chicks for that of turkey poults, and are considered as fairly 
" toughened." 

PREPARATION OF FOOD FOR THE YOUNG. 

As we have said before, great care should be exercised in the preparation 
of their food. Do not feed slop food of any kind. Many breeders feed 
loppered milk, but that should be scrupulously avoided ; it should not be fed 
under any consideration. Sour milk, boiled to a thick curd, is good, mixed 
with cooked Indian meal, seasoning the same occasionally with b lack pepper. 
They should be fed often, and made to eat up clean what food is given them 
before repeating the feeding. The food should be thrown on the ground — 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 73 

not in a trough — so that in picking up their food the gravel that adheres to 
it Avill aid their digestive organs to perform their functions. Never feed 
Indian meal in an uncooked state, for it is liable to bake in the crop, causing 
death in a very short time. Water should be placed in shallow dishes, or old tin 
pie-pans, near the coop, so that the young can satisfy their thirst whenever 
inclined. At six weeks or two months old the young turkeys may, as a 
general thing, be considered out of danger from over-feeding, etc., and should 
then be fed cracked corn, boiled potatoes, refuse from the table, buckwheat, 
and fresh boiled meat, occasionally, in small quantities. 

TO FATTEN TURKEYS. 

In regard to fattening turkeys on charcoal, a writer in the Germantovm 
Telegraph says : — " I have recently made an experiment, and must say that 




DOMESTIC TURKEY. 

the result surprised me, as I had always been rather skeptical upon the sub- 
ject. Four turkeys were confined in a pen, and fed on meal, boiled potatoes 
and oats. Four others, of the same brood, were also at the same time con- 
fined in another pen, and fed daily on the same articles, but with one pint of 
very finely pulverized charcoal, mixed with their food — mixed meal and 



74 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 




THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



75 



boiled potatoes. They had also a plentiful supply of broken charcoal in 
their pen. The eight were killed on the same day, and there was a differ- 




WILD TURKEY. 



ence of one and a half pounds each in favor of the fowls which had been 
supplied with the charcoal, they being much the fattest, and the meat 
greatly superior in point of tenderness and flavor." 



76 the people's practical poultry book. 

the wild turkey. 
The plumage of the wild turkey is generally described as being compact, 
glossy, with metallic reflections ; feathers double, as in other gallinaceous 
birds, generally oblong or truncated; tips of the feathers almost conceal 
the bronze color. The large quill coverts are of the same color as the back, 
but more bronzed, with purple reflections. The lower part of the back and 
tail coverts is deep chestnut, banded green and black ; the tail feathers are 
of the same color, undulatingly barred and minutely sprinkled with black, 
and having a broad, blackish bar toward the tip, which is pale brown and 
minutely mottled ; the under parts duller ; breast of the same color as the 
back, the terminating black band not so broad ; sides dark-colored ; abdomen 
and thighs brownish-gray ; under tail coverts blackish, glossed with brown, 
and at the tips bright reddish-brown. The plumage of the male is very 
brilliant ; that of the female is not so beautiful. When strutting about, with 
tail spread, displaying himself, this bird has a very stately and handsome 
appearance, and seems quite sensible of the admiration he excites. 

THE DOMESTIC TURKEY. 

The varieties of the domesticated turkey are not very distinct. There 
seems to be a question in the minds of ornithologists whether the domestic 
turkey, so called, is actually a second and distinct species, or merely a variety 
of the wild bird, owing its diversity of aspect to circumstances dependent on 
locality, and consequent change of habit, combined with difference of 
climate and other important causes, which are known in the case of animals 
to produce such remarkable effects. 

THE WHITE TURKEY. 

The white turkey is a most beautiful bird, and is supposed by some to be 
the most robust and easily fattened of our domestic turkeys ; but this, from 
what we have been able to learn upon the subject, is a grave error, they 
proving, on the contrary, very delicate and hard to rear. But when fattened 
and killed they dress most temptingly white for the market, and their flesh, 
when brought to the table, is rather more delicate than that of the common 
variety. 

THE BRONZED BLACK. 

This is undoubtedly the finest and strongest bird, resembling as it does, as 
closely as possible, the original stock, and looks not dissimilar to the wild 
bird, and next to that weighs the heaviest, fattens the most rapidly, and can 
be reared with much less trouble than any other variety. We have seen a 
turkey of this species shown at the New York State Poultry Exhibition that 
was enormous in size ; he weighed upwards of thirty-six pounds. Some 
turkeys we have seen are of a coppery tint, some of a delicate fawn-color, 
while others were parti-colored, and gray and white. These are, however, 
regarded as inferior to the Bronzed-Black, or Black, as their color indicates 
something like degeneracy of constitution, if not of actual disease. 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTEY BOOK. 



11 



THE CRESTED TURKEY. 

A specimen of this turkey, the only one, we believe, ever exhibited in this 
country, was shown' at the New York State Poultry Show in 1869, and 
attracted considerable attention ; so much so, that we have deemed it not 
out of place to give an engraving of the head, showing the crest, in these 
pages, with what description we are able to gather of the same from 
eminent writers on natural history: — "Amongst the old writers on the 
natural history of birds," says Tegetmeier, "are to be found references to a 







CRESTED TURKEY. 

singular breed of turkeys that were furnished with full crests of feathers." 
Thus Albin, in his " Natural History of Birds," published in 1738, describes 
a single specimen, belonging to a Mr. Coenellyson of Chelmsford. He 
wrote as follows : — " The back and upper sides of the wings are of a dusky, 
yellowish brown, the breast, belly, thighs, and under sides of the wings 



78 THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

white, the feathers on the lower part of the belly and thighs were edged 
with black ; the tail white, the extreme feathers of which were scalloped 
near the ends with black, the next circular row scalloped with a dusky 
yellow ; the legs flesh color, having only the rudiments of spurs ; the claws 
dusky." 

Temminck, in his " Pigeons et Gallinaces" published at Amsterdam in 
1813, says: — " The crested turkey is only a variety or sport of nature in this 
species, differing only in the possession of a feathered crest, which is some- 
times white, sometimes black. These crested turkeys are very rare. 
Mademoiselle Backer, in her magnificent menagerie near the Hague, had a 
breed of crested turkeys of a beautiful Isabelle yellow, inclining to chestnut ; 
all had full crests of pure white." 

The Rev. E. S. Dixon, in his work entitled " The Dove-cote and the 
Aviary," quotes the above passage from Temminck, and another from the 
work of Lieut. Byam, descriptive of a race of crested wild turkeys in Mexico. 
The extract from Mr. Byam I will not quote, as it is quite evident that 
the bird described by him was not a tui'key, but a curassow. The con- 
clusion that Mr. Dixon arrived at was, that there must have been a wild 
race of crested turkeys from which the crested birds described by Albin 
and Temminck had descended. I need hardly state that there is not the 
slightest possible foundation for such an. opinion, nor for believing in the 
existence of wild crested fowls, which is also maintained by the writer. 
Crested turkeys are a variety, not a species ; but it is singular that a variety 
that was so much admired many yeai's since should have passed out of sight, 
at least so far as Europe is concerned." 

It is singular that this particular variety of an American species should 
now be utterly unknown in its native country, lost entirely in Europe, and 
only recovered from Africa. When could the breed have been taken there, 
and how came it to be preserved among the semi-savage tribes of the in- 
terior, while it was lost to the civilized races of Europe? Of the origin of 
this crested breed nothing is now known, but those who are acquainted with 
the theory of analogous variation, as propounded by Darwin, will have no 
difficulty in understanding how such a breed could originate, seeing that 
several allied genera of crested birds, such as Pavo, Lopophorus, etc., exist. 



DUCKS-THEIR VARIETIES AND MANAGEMENT 



CAN THEY BE KEPT WITH PROFIT? 

Any calculation as to the return to be expected by those who keep ducks, 
says an experienced breeder, depends entirely on the possession of a suitable 
locality. They are most likely to be kept with profit when access is allowed 
them to an adjoining marsh, Avhere they are able in a great measure to pro- 
vide for themselves ; for if wholly dependent on the breeder for their living 
they have such ravenous, insatiable appetites that they would soon, to use an 
emphatic phrase, " eat their heads off." No description of poultry, in fact, 
will devour so much or feed so greedy. But certain moderate limits are 
necessary for their excursions, for otherwise they will gradually learn to ab- 
sent themselves altogether, and acquire semi- wild habits, so that when they 
are required to be put up for feeding or immediate sale, they are found want- 
ing. Ducks, too early allowed their liberty on large pieces of water, are ex- 
posed to so many enemies, both by land and water, that few reach maturity ; 
and even if some are thus fortunate, they are ever after indisposed to return 
to the discipline and regular habits of the farm-yard. They may be kept in 
health in small enclosures, by a good system of management, though we fear 
not with profit, which is the point to which all our advice must tend. There 
is no doubt that 

DUCKS MAY BE MADE PROFITABLE AS EGG-PRODUCERS, 

but the quality of their eggs and the extra labor required to obtain them — 
for unless they are got up every night and confined, they will drop their eggs 
carelessly here and there, where they will not be found — will not allow them 
to compete with the hen in that capacity. Besides, a duck lays when eggs 
are most abundant," while hens' eggs may be procured at all seasons. The 
following remarks on rearing and feeding the young are from the pen of the 
late C. N. Bement :— " The 

BEST MODE OP REARING DUCKLINGS 

depends very much on the situation in which they are hatched. On hatching 
there is no necessity of taking away any of the brood, unless some accident 
should happen ; and having hatched, let the duck retain her young upon the 



80 the people's practical poultry book. 

nest her own time. On her moving with her brood, prepare a coop and pen 
upon the short grass, if the weather be fine, or under shelter, if otherwise ; 
keep a wide and shallow dish of water, often to be removed, near by them. 

THEIR FIRST POOD 

should be crumbs of bread, moistened with milk ; curds or eggs boiled hard 
and chopped fine, are also much relished by, and are good for them. After 
a few days, Indian meal, boiled and mixed with milk, and if boiled potatoes 
and a few chives or lettuce chopped fine be added, all the better. All kinds 




AYLESBURY r)E,A.KE. 



of sopped food, buckwheat flour, barley meal and water, mixed thin, worms, 
etc., suit them. As soon as they have gained a little strength, a good deal 
of pot-herbs may be given them, raw, chopped fine, and mixed with a little 
bran soaked in water, barley and boiled potatoes beat up together. 

REASONS WHY THEY ARE USEFUL. 

They are extremely fond of angle-worms, grubs, and bugs of all kinds, for 
which reasons it may be useful to have them run in the garden daily. All 
these equally agree Avith young ducks, which devour the different substances 
they meet with, and show, from their most tender age, a voracity which they 
always retain. No people are more successful in rearing ducks than cot- 
tagers, who keep them for the first period of their existence in pens two or 
three yards square, feeding them night and morning with egg and flour, till 
they are judged old enough to be turned out with their mother to forage the 
field. It is necessary, to prevent accidents, to take care that the ducklings 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



81 



come regularly home every evening ; and precautions must be taken, before 
they are permitted to mingle with the old ducks, lest the latter should ill- 
treat and kill them, though ducks are by no means so pugnacious and jealous 
of new-comers as common fowls uniformly are." 



OUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. 

In 1862 we tried the experiment of rearing ducks without having the 
water facilities said to be necessary to make our undertaking successful. 
Against the advice of breeders we bought, of the common variety, one drake 
and three ducks in the fore part of February, placed them in our back yard 
and let them run with the rest of our fowls ; fed them regularly, (as we do 
all other fowls,) three times a day, and having placed at their command or 
convenience at all times an eight-quart basin full of water. We did not coop 
them with our other fowls ; understanding they would do better in dark 




ROXJElsr DRAKE. 



coops or roosts, we therefore made for them two tight tent coops of rough 
boards, with small, open doorways in front in the most secluded place we 
could find in the yard, between a couple of trees and surrounded with shrub- 
bery. The three ducks commenced laying about the last of February, and 
continued laying pretty regularly until the latter part of August or first of 
September. In April we set a hen on thirteen ducks' eggs, which brought 
off twelve young ducks. We did not set any ducks, but continued to use 
hens for that purpose, and at the close of the season were rewarded with a 



82 the people's practical poultry book. 

flock of sixty-eight young ducklings, which brought in the fall, when well 
fattened, from eight to nine shillings per pair, saying nothing of the large 
number of eggs used for culinary purposes in a family of ten persons. 

REARING DUCKS WITH HENS. 

In rearing young ducks with hens we placed near the coops, which were 
always located in the vicinity of the pump, a small pan or water-tight box 
sunk in the ground to receive the waste water from the pump, which an- 
swered the purpose as well as if they were given a pond of water to swim 
in, and fretted the hen-mother much less. In fattening them, we gave them 
plenty of boiled potatoes, mixed with cooked Indian meal, made into a pud- 
ding. We fed but little corn or oats. They paid us well for our undertak- 
ing, as they doubtless would, if the experiment were tried on a larger scale. 

THE AYLESBURY. 

This variety of aquatic fowls derive its name from the town of Ayles- 
bury, England, and is highly prized by breeders in this and other countries, 
on account of the many good qualities which it possesses. They are large, 
possess excellent table qualities, and are very prolific layers. As for beauty, 
we do not think a flock of pure white Aylesburys can be equaled. The 
first importation of this breed was made about the year 1854, we believe, by 
John Giles, of Woodstock, Conn. The pure bred bird has plumage of un- 
spotted whiteness ; a pale, flesh-colored bill ; a dark, prominent eye, and 
orange-colored legs. Dr. Bennett says: — "The weight of the adult Ayles- 
bury duck should at least average, if properly fed, from ten to twelve pounds 
the pair. Instances, however, have occurred where the drakes have come up 
to eight pounds and upwards, and would in all probability, if fattened, reach 
ten pounds each. They are very prolific layers. From two of these ducks 
three hundred eggs have been obtained in the course of twelve months, in 
addition to which, one of them sat twice, the other only once, the three nests 
giving thirty young ones. The eggs vary in color, some being white, while 
others are a pale blue. As a further recommendation for them, in an 
economical point of view, it is argued that their consumption of food is less 
than that of the common duck ; and another advantage may be found in 
their comparative silence from the continuous ' quack, quack, quack,' of the 
latter bird. They also attain greater weight in less time ; and, from their 
superior appearance when plucked, are a far more marketable article." 

The carriage of the Aylesbury duck is more upright than that of the 
Rouen, and from its great powers of locomotion the bird is by no means 
addicted to such stay-at-home habits as the latter. It is not uncommon to see 
the bill of these ducks turn black or become stained with dark spots as they 
advance in life. This disfigurement has been greatly commented upon, but 
no definite conclusion arrived at, still many are disposed to regard it as heredi- 
tary. It is averred that the Aylesbury, being a lighter breed, are better sit- 
ters and nurses than the Rouens, after the experience of two or three years. 



THE PEOPLE S PKACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



The purchaser should be careful not to confound the Aylesbury with another 
breed of white ducks bred in this country, that were originally imported 
from Holland ; the chief merit of which consists in their incessant quacking ; 




CRESTED DUCK. 

and is termed the " Call Duck." The White Call Duck has a yellow, orange- 
colored bill, while it should be recollected the bill of the Aylesbury should 
be flesh-colored. i 

THE ROUEN. 

The Rouens are extensively bred in France and England, as well as in 
this country, but it is asserted by some writers, were originally from France, 




TRIO OF MUSK OR BRAZILIAN DUCKS. 

and take their name from the city of Rouen, on the river Seine. Teget- 
meier, who is at present acknowledged authority on " feathery subjects," 



84 THE PEOPLE'S practical poultry book. 

seems to think differently as regards the origin of this variety. He says : 
" I have been a breeder of this duck many years, and take much interest in 
their history, but could never discover that Rouen was especially famous for 
this breed of birds. On the contrary, from inquiries made of poultry fanciers 
and others who have visited that locality, I have found that these birds were 
not reared there as a domestic fowl, nor did they abound in a wild state in 
that district. As to the application of the term, it is most probable that it is 
a corruption of the word roan, or ' gray duck,' and the animal is not without 
some claim to the cognomen. As to the origin of the breed, there can be 
little doubt that it has been bred from the Mallard, enlarged and improved 
by care and good feeding, and corresponds precisely with it in every respect 
in the details and markings of the plumage. The markings found also in the 
wild species are considered as the criteria of pei-fection by poultry fanciers 
and judges, at the present day, which proves much more than any facts I 
might advance." This breed of ducks is highly esteemed by breeders for 
their large size and deliciousness of flesh. They are prolific layers, their eggs 
being very large, and much valued in England, it is said, for culinary pur- 
poses. It may be imagined, from their large size, that they must consume 
much more food than our smaller variety of ducks ; on the contrary, they are 
remarkable easy keepers, and require less food than the common duck. They 
commence laying when quite young, are perfectly hardy and not disposed to 
roam from the immediate vicinity of their yards. There is but little differ- 
ence in size between the duck and the drake, and in many instances the 
former will outweigh the latter. They are not good mothers, and their eggs 
should be placed under a hen to insure success in raising the young. The 
color of the Rouen drake is as follows : — Bill inclined to green, the nail and 
around the nostrils being black; head and neck, as far as the white collar, 
which should be very distinct, iridescent green ; throat and breast claret- 
brown ; back scapulars, and thighs gray, with minute wavy dark lines at 
right angles to the shaft of the feather ; tail brown, with the outer edge of 
the feathers white, forming a broad margin of that color, the three center 
feathers being curled; primaries brown; secondaries the same, with a bar of 
bright steel-blue forming the speculum, the band of black, the extremities 
being tipped with white ; lesser wing-coverts rich brown ; greater wing-cov- 
erts the same, with a narrow white margin ; under part of the body gray, 
with the same wavy dotted lines as on the back; legs and feet orange. The 
plumage of the duck is of a rich brown color, every feather being marked 
more or less with black ; bill, legs and feet dusky ; irides in both sexes are 
of a light-brown color. The body of the ducklmgs, when first hatched, is of 
a yellowish-brown color, and remains so until they are in perfect feather. 

THE CAYUGA BLACK. 

This is a variety of our duck tribe well worthy of cultivation, and the 
best of the dark ducks. It originated on Cayuga Lake, one of our most 
beautiful little inland American lakes. These birds ai*e perfectly hardy, good 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



85 



layers, and very palatable when brought to the table. The plumage of the 
Cayuga Duck is black, approaching a brown; the feathers of the drake 
being of a beautiful glossy color, 



when seen on a bright sunny day 
looking splendidly. The white col- 
or on the neck sets the bird off to 
good advantage, and with a little 
pains on the part of breeders might 
soon be made into a neat, well-de- 
fined ring. They can be bred to 
weigh from six to eight pounds 
each. The flavor of this bird, in 
our opinion, is far superior to that 
of the Rouen or Aylesbury duck, 
with far greater aptitude to fatten. 
Its flesh has the juiciness and rich- 
ness of flavor of the best of our 
wild ducks. 

THE MUSK OR BRAZILIAN DUCK. 

The color of this duck is of a very dark, rich, blue-black prismatic, with 
every color of which blue is a component, and a white bar is on the wing, 




CAYUGA BLACK DUCK. 




WOOD OR STJMIMER, DTJCK. 

some white about the head and neck. The feathers on the back of the male 
aiv -omewhat fine and plume-like, the legs and feet are dark. This duck is 



8G THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

represented as very prolific in a warm climate. The drakes often attain 
ten pounds weight when well fattened, while the female hardly ever exceeds 
six pounds. Browne says "the Musk duck, in a wild state, is found only in 
South America." This is a great mistake, for we have often observed them 
in their wild state in the inlets or bays on Lake Ontario, and as far inland as 
Cayuga Lake, where they have been shot in great numbers and forwarded to 
the New- York and Philadelphia markets. It is easily distinguished by a red 
membrane surrounding the eyes and covering the cheeks. 

THE WOOD OR SUMMER DUCK. 

This beautiful bird, one of the finest varieties we have, is easily reared 
and domesticated, and is familiarly known in all parts of the United States. 
The late M. Vassar, Esq., of Poughkeepsie, reared them successfully for a 
number of years, and had them domesticated to such a degree as to permit a 
person to stroke them on the back with the hand. 

THE CRESTED DUCK. 

Latham, in speaking of the Crested duck, gives the following character- 
istics of it : — " This inhabitant of the extremity of America is of the size ot 
the wild duck, but is much longer, for it measures twenty-five inches in 
length ; a tuft adorns its head ; a straw-yellow, mixed with rusty-colored 
spots, is spread over the throat and front of the neck ; the wing speculum 
blue beneath, edged with white ; the bill, wing and tail are black ; irides red, 
and all the rest of the body ashy-gray." 

other breeds. 

There are a few other pretty varieties of ducks not very common. The 
White and Black Poland are among the number. They are crested, breed 
early and are excellent layers. The Labrador also is a rare duck, and highly 
prized. 



GEESE-MANAGEMENT AM) DIFFERENT BREEDS. 



In lieu of anything we can say relative to housing, breeding, rearing, and 
the general management of geese, we give what the late N. C. Bement has 
written on the subject, with the simple remark that from what we knew of 
that gentleman when living, we consider his advice orthodox. He says : 

GEESE HOUSES, .OR PENS. 

" In selecting a situation for a goose-house or pen, all damp must be 
avoided ; for geese, however much they may like to swim in water, are fond 
at all times of a clean, dry place to sleep in. It is not good to keep geese 
with other poultry ; for when confined in the poultry-yard they become very 
quarrelsome, harrass and injure the other fowls ; therefore it is best to erect 
low sheds, with nests partitioned off, of suitable size, to accommodate them ; 
and there should never be over eight under one roof; the large ones gen- 
erally beat the smaller, in which case they should of course be separated, one 
from the other, by partitions extending out some distance from the nests. 

THE NESTS EOR HATCHING 

should be made of fine straw, of a circular shape, and so arranged that the 
eggs can not fall out when the goose turns them. From thirteen to fifteen 
will be as many as a large goose can conveniently cover. The ganders 
remain near when sitting, and seem to watch them as a kind of sentinel ; and 
woe be to man or beast that dares approach them. They seem very 
anxious to see the young ones, that are to be born, make their appearance. 

INCUBATION 

lasts from twenty-eight to thirty days, and not two months, as some state, 
and the goose should have water placed near her, and be well fed as soon as 
she comes off the nest, that she may not be so long absent as to allow the 
eggs to cool, which might cause her to abandon her task. After twenty- 
eight or twenty-nine days' incubation, the goslings begin, but frequently 
at an interval of from twenty-four to forty-eight hours, to chip the shell. 
Like turkey chickens, goslings must be taken from under the mother, lest, if 
feeling the young ones under her, she might perhaps leave the rest of the 



88 THE FEOPLKS PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

tardy brood still unhatched. After having separated them, from her, they 
must be kept in a basket, lined with wool and covered with cloth ; and 
when the whole of the eggs are hatched, may be returned to the mother. 
The male seems to evince the same solicitude for the young as the mother, 
and will lead and take equal care of them. We once had a gander of the 
Chinese variety that actually took a brood of goslings from under a common 
goose, and brought them up with equal care. 

ON THE SECOND DAY AFTER THEY ARE HATCHED 

they may be let out after the dew is off, if the weather is warm, but care 
must be taken not to expose them to the scorching rays of the sun, which 
might kill them. All authors seem to agree on the proper food to be given 
them, which is coarse barley meal, bruised oats, bran, crumbs of bread 
soaked in milk or curdled milk, lettuce leaves chopped fine, or crusts of 
bread boiled in milk. In this country Indian meal moistened with water is 
generally given ; but in our experience we have found it too laxative, and to 
counteract the effect we have moistened it with boiled milk, and occasionally 
added chives chopped fine. It is our opinion, however, that more goslings 
are killed by over-feeding than by starving. A person who is curious in 
these affairs informed us that he had been most successful when he let the 
goslings shift for themselves, if the pasture was good. We tried a brood 
that way and succeeded well. Grass seems to be their natural food, and by 
following nature in all cases with animals, and more especially with fowls, 
we have generally succeeded best. 

AFTER THEY ARE THREE OR FOUR WEEKS OLD 

they may be turned out in a field or lane containing water. If their range is 
extensive they must be looked after, as the goose is apt to drag the goslings 
until they become cramped or tired, some of them squatting down and re- 
maining at evening, and are seen no more. After the goslings are pretty 
well feathered they are too large to be brooded under the mother's wings, 
and will sleep in groups by her side, and must be supplied with good and 
renewed straw to sit on, which will be converted into excellent manure. 
Being now able to frequent the pond and range the common at large, the 
young geese will obtain their own living ; and if favorably situated, nothing 
more need be allowed them excepting the vegetable produce of the garden. 
We have, however, found it a good practice to feed a moderate quantity of 
solid food to the young and store geese, by which means they are kept in a 
growing and fleshy state, and attain a larger size ; the young ones are also 
forward and valuable for breeding stock. Besides, feeding them, especially 
in the evening, on their return, attaches them to their home. 

DISEASES TO WHICH THEY ARE SUBJECT. 

u i Prevention is better than cure ;' so says the proverb. Colds and fogs 
are extremely against geese ; therefore, when young, care should be taken 



THE PEOPLE'S PKACTICAL POULTKY BOOK. 



not to let them out but in fair weather, when they can go to their food with- 
out a leader. They are particularly subject to two diseases ; the first a 
looseness, or diarrhea, for which Main recommends hot wine in which the 
parings of quinces, acorns, or juniper berries are boiled. The second is like 







a giddiness, which makes them turn round for some time ; they then fall 
down and die, if they are not relieved in time. The remedy recommended 
by Main is to bleed the bird with a pin or needle, by piercing a rather promi- 
nent vein situated under the skin which separates the claws. Another scourge 
to goslings are little insects which get into their ears and nostrils, which 



90 THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

fatigue and exhaust thern ; they then walk with their wings hanging down, 
and shaking their heads The relief proposed is to give them, on their return 
from the fields, some corn at the bottom of a vessel full of clear water ; in 
order to eat it, they are obliged to plunge their heads in the water, which 
compels the insects to fly and leave their prey. 

FOOD AND FATTENING. 

" ' It is the same with the goose,' says Main, ' as with every other bird 
that is fattened up ; that moment must be laid hold of, when they come to a 
complete plumpness, or they soon get lean and die if they are not killed.' 
Meal and skimmed milk will soon do the business ; after ranging in the grain 
stubbles but little else will be required. These are called '-green geese? and 
are most esteemed by the epicure ; they will then be about six weeks old, 
tender and fine. The writer of the article on poultry in Baxter's Library 
of Agriculture recommends steamed potatoes, with four quarts of ground 
buckwheat or oats to the bushel, mashed up with the potatoes, and given 
warm. This, it is said, will render geese, cooped in a dark place, fat enough 
in three weeks. The French method of fattening is detailed very copiously 
by M. Parmentier. ' The whole process,' says he, ' consists in plucking the 
feathers from under the belly ; in giving them abundance of food and drink, 
and in cooping them up more closely than is practiced with common fowls ; 
cleanliness and quiet being, above all, indispensable. The best time is in the 
month of November, or when the cold weather begins to set in. When 
there are but a few geese to fatten, they are put in a cask, in which holes 
have been bored, and through which they thrust their heads to get their food ; 
but as this bird is voracious, and as with it hunger is stronger than love of 
liberty, it is easily fattened, provided they are abundantly supplied with 
the wherewithal to swallow.' 

" The Romans considered the liver of the goose a great dainty, and to 
increase its size they fed them sixteen days on a paste of Turkey figs, stamped 
and beaten up with cream ; their livers would thus be brought to table, each 
weighing three or four pounds. Equal parts of the meal of oats, rye, and 
peas, mixed with skimmed milk, form an excellent feeding article for geese 
and ducks. The grand object of preparing, not geese only, but all kinds of 
poultry for market in as short a time as possible, is effected solely by paying 
unremitting attention to their wants ; in keeping them thoroughly clean, in 
supplying them with proper food (dry, soft, and green,) water, exercise, 
ground, etc. They should be fed three times a day ; and it is truly astonish- 
ing how soon they acquire a knowledge of the time." 

THE AMERICAN WILD GOOSE. 

There seems to be a great diversity of opinion, among writers on 
poultry, relative to the domestic or common goose of America, many 
contending that they derive their parentage from the " Canada Wild 
Goose," so-called in Europe, while it is said by eminent ornithologists 






THE PEOPLE S PEACTICAL POULTEY BOOK. 



91 



that the American Wild Goose is identical with the Canada, and that the 
latter derives its name from the former breed. Cuviee claims, how- 
ever, that the American wild goose, so-called, is ' identical with the swan 
family and cannot be well separated from the true swans. But they sbow 







much more disposition for domestication than the swan, and can certainly be 
maintained, perfectly healthy, with more limited facilities for bathing than 
any of the swan family. Audubon kept some of the American wild geese 
three years ; yet the old birds did not show any inclination to bi-eed during 
their confinement ; while their young, which were captured with them, com- 



92 the people's practical poultry book. 

menced breeding the second year. He states their period of incubation to 
be only twenty-eight days, which is a much shorter period than a person 
would naturally suppose. In a domestic or confined state they do not breed, 
as a general thing, until they are at least two years old, while in a wild state 
they breed when they are from fifteen to sixteen months old. 

The American wild goose is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful birds 
of the feathered tribe, universally known over the whole broad extent of our 
country, and their regular migrations are a sure signal of approaching win- 
ter or the return of spring time. The head, two-thirds of the neck, the 
larger quills, the rump and tail are jet black ; the back and wings are brown, 
the edges of the wings being a lightish-brown ; the under plumage and base 
of the neck are a brownish-gray ; the eyes are encircled with white feathers, 
while a kidney-shaped cravat of white feathers forms a conspicuous mark on 
the throat ; the upper and under tail coverts are pure white, bill and feet 
black ; while its delicate and swan-like neck gives this bird a majestic and 
beautiful appearance. Their autumnal flight lasts from the middle of August 
to the middle of November, and the vernal flight from the middle of April 
to the middle of May. 

Wilson says that, " except in calm weather, the flocks of American wild 
geese rarely sleep on the water, generally preferring to roost all night in the 
marshes. When the shallow bays are frozen over, they seek the mouths of 
inlets near the sea, occasionally visiting the air or breathing holes in the ice ; 
but these bays are seldom so completely frozen as to prevent their feeding on 
the bars at the entrance." A friend of ours, residing in Chenango county, 
several years ago, shot and wounded a large gander of this species, clipped 
his wings, (one of which, we think, was broken,) and placed him with his 
flock of common gray geese, which paired, and from which he bred a beauti- 
ful cross-breed, which were quite a novelty to look upon. The gander seemed 
to be perfectly contented with his new-found mates, and did not, after a short 
time, evince any disposition to be freed from the bounden fetters of domesti- 
cation. 

EMBDEN OR BREMEN GEESE. 

These beautiful aquatic birds were first introduced into this country in 1821 
by Col. Samuel Jaques of Boston, Mass. They were imported direct from 
Holland ; but the appellation of Embden is said to have been obtained from 
the town of that name in Hanover. We have seen, on several occasions, fine 
specimens of these geese at the New-York State and other fairs. The flesh 
of these geese is very different from that of our domestic variety, for it does 
not partake of that dry character which belongs to other and more common 
kinds, but is as tender and juicy when brought to the table as that of our 
wild fowls, and is less liable to shrink in the process of cooking. Epicures 
aver that the flesh of these geese is not inferior to that of the Canvas-back 
duck. These fowls are often bred to weigh from seventeen to twenty pounds 
and upwards. The young are easily reared, with very little care, in almost 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 93 

any section of country. They have been known to weigh, at eight months 
old, from twelve to sixteen pounds when dressed for the table. 

They are the most beautiful of all geese, and, excepting the Toulouse, 
the largest. Indeed, the rivalry between the two breeds is so close that 
many contend that the palm of size as well as beauty belongs to the Embden. 

Mr. Hewitt, an English writer who favors this variety, says : — " The 
Embden goose has prominent blue eyes, is remarkably strong in the neck, 
and the feathers, from near the shoulder to the head, are far moi'e curled than 
is seen in other birds. The plumage is pure white throughout ; bill flesh 
color, and legs orange. One of their great advantages is this : — That all the 
feathers being perfectly white, their value, where many are kept, is far 
greater in the market than is ever the case with, colored or mixed feathers. 
The quality of the flesh is about equal with the Toulouse ; but the Embden 
is the earlier layer, and frequently rears two broods in one season, the young 
ones proving as hardy as any with which I am acquainted." 

THE TOULOUSE GOOSE. 

The Toulouse goose is said to have originated in France, and is distin- 
guished from the common gray goose by its colors being darker and more 
intense, by the bright orange hue of the bill, legs and the orbit around the 
eye, as also by the singularly early development of the abdominal pouch. 
The Earl of Derby first introduced this breed in England from the south of 
France, and, like the Embden, they attain to great size. They are good 
layers, and their flesh is tender and well flavored. Dixon, in describing the 
goose, says : — " The head should be depressed, and of a more elongated form 
than in the common goose ; bill three inches in length by two inches in depth 
at the base ; in color a clear orange-vermilion, the nail at its extremity being 
white, irides dark brown ; oi'bit large, and of the same color as the bill. 
The plumage of head and neck ash-gray, the latter showing ' the curl ' in a 
very marked manner. Throat a light tint of gray ; breast, back, and thighs 
dark grayish-broAvn, with a margin of white, more or less distinct, on each 
feather. Greater wing coverts brown ; lesser wing coverts a light gray. 
Primary wing-feathers, of which the second is the longest, ash-gray, becom- 
ing very dark, rich brcwn at their extremities, the shaft being a clear white ; 
secondaries and tertials dark leaden-bi-own ; scapulars the same, with a nar- 
row light edge. Under part of the body white ; tail-coverts white ; tail- 
feathers brown, with broad white band at the extremity. Legs and feet red- 
dish-yellow ; claws dusky. The wings, when folded, about half an inch 
shorter than the tail. The orbit, in both its form and color, the general tone 
of plumage, the color of the bill and legs, the particular light marking of the 
lesser wing coverts, and the wings, which fall short of the tail, are points of 
resemblance between the Toulouse and the Gray-leg goose." 

THE AFRICAN" GOOSE. 

Africa, or, perhaps, some of the southern countries of that old continent, 



94 



THE PEOPLES PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



seems to be the native abode of this goose. They are the lai'gest of the goose 
tribe, and often weigh twenty-five pounds and upwards. Although Lin- 
naeus, in his description, has termed them Siberian geese, they are not in- 
digenous in Siberia, but have been carried hither and multiplied in a state of 




domestication, as in Germany and Sweden. This bird carries its head high 
as its walks, and its fine carriage and great bulk give it a noble air. The bill 
is armed at the edges with a small indentation, the head and the top of the 
neck are brown, deeper on the upper side than on the under ; on the origin 
cf the bill there rises a round and fleshy tubercle of a vermilion color ; under 



THE PEOPLE S PR ACTIO AL POULTRY BOOK. 



95 



the throat, also, there hangs a sort of fleshy membrane, which is firm and 
hard. 

THE EGYPTIAN GOOSE 

is bred in this country to a certain extent. It is a beautiful and stately bird, 
and is much valued for its gorgeous mantle of golden hues. It is also 
very prolific, bringing off, usually, three broods a year, from eight to twelve 
each time. Their weight is about eight pounds each. Their markings are 
striking and beautiful, being dark-red round the eyes ; red ring round the 
neck ; bill white ; neck and breast light fawn-gray ; a maroon star on the 
breast ; belly red and gray ; half of the wing-feathers rich black, the other 




WHITE CHINESE GOOSE. 

part of them pure white ; black bar running across the center ; back light- 
red, growing dark-red toward the tail ; the tail a deep black ; carriage up- 
right and stately. 

THE WHITE CHINESE GOOSE. 

This variety of aquatic fowl was introduced into England some years 
since by Alfred Whitikar, and brought to t{ns country by John t Giles of 
Connecticut. Mr. Whitikar gives the following description of it: — "The 
White China Goose is of a spotless, pure white, more swan-like than the 
brown variety, with a bright orange-colored bill, and a large orange-colored 
knob at its base. It is a particularly beautiful bird, either in or out of the 
water, its neck long, slender, and gracefully arched when swimming. It 
breeds three or four times in a season, and its period of incubation extends 
to five weeks. They are prolific layers, but their eggs are small for the size 
of the bird, being not more than half the size of those of the common goose. 



96 THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

The spring goslings are easily reared, and are a fair average quality for the 
table. The disparity in size between the sexes is considerable, often amount- 
ing to over one-third of their relative weights. Its color, as its name in- 
dicates, is a pure, spotless white, which, contrasted with its yellow or orange- 
colored bill and legs, gives quite a pleasing effect, and it certainly deserves 
to rank in the first class of ornamental poultry." 

THE BARNACLE GOOSE. 

The Barnacle breeds in Iceland, Greenland, and the north of Russia and 
of Asia. It is of handsome form, standing high on its limbs. The flesh is 
excellent, and they weigh about eight pounds a pair. The bill is small and 
black, with a reddish streak on each side ; the cheeks and throat, with the 
exception of a black line from the eye to the beak, white ; head, neck, and 
shoulders black : under plumage marbled with blue, gray, black, and white : 
tail black ; Under parts white ; legs dusky. Although the Barnacle is shy 
and cautious in a wild state, yet when brought under a state of domestication 
it is as tame as any of the goose tribe. 

THE BRANT GOOSE. 

This and the Barnacle goose are the smallest of their tribe yet introduced 
to our aquatic aviaries ; both being less in size than some ducks. The 
Brant is considered one of our most savory birds. In its transit from its 
breeding-places near the Arctic sea, it appears in great numbers on the coast 
of New- York in the first and second week in October, and continues pass- 
ing on to the south until December. Some few have been observed to re- 
main all winter. They are again seen with us in April and May, on their 
way north, when they are in the best condition. " Immense numbers of 
Brant geese," says Mr. St. John, "float with every tide into the bays formed 
by the bar. As the tide recedes, they land on the grass, and feed in close 
packed flocks. On the land, they are light, active birds, walking quickly, 
and with a graceful carriage. On any alarm, before rising, they run together 
as close as they can ; thus affording a good chance to the sportsman, who 
may be concealed near enough, of making his shot tell among their heads and 
necks." 



DISEASES OF POULTRY. 



SYMPTOMS, CARE, TREATMENT, PREVENTIVES, REMEDIES, ETC. 

In the climate of this country there is no need of having any diseases 
among our domestic poultry if proper care and judgment in the treatment of 
the same were manifested on the part of the breeder. We have given in this 
connection a series of diseases that are known to infest poultry yards not 
properly cared for, with preventives and remedies for the same, in the 
hope, that should occasion require, benefit may be derived therefrom. 

Apoplexy. — Fowls are attacked with this disease when apparently in 
the most robust health — suddenly fall down, die, or are found without 
sensation or the power of locomotion. Bleeding is recommended for the 
disease ; take a sharp-pointed pen-knife and open one of the largest veins 
under the wing in a longitudinal direction, by pressing the thumb on the 
vein at any point between the opening and the body, the blood will flow 
freely and relieve the fowl at once. Stimulating food should not be given 
to fowls liable to this disease. 

Black Rot. — The symptoms of this disease are blackening of the comb, 
resembling mortification ; swelling of the legs and feet, and general 
wasting of the system. It can only be cured in the earlier stages by frequent 
doses of castor-oil, to keep up purging ; at the same time giving freely 
strong ale or other stimulants, with wai-m and nourishing food. 

Catarrh in Chickens. — The symptoms of this disease are not dis- 
similar to those in the human subject, being a watery or slimy discharge of 
mucus from the nostrils, swelling of the eyelids, and, in extreme cases, 
the sides of the face are swollen. The cause of the disease is somewhat 
similar to that of roup. It is said if this disease is not promptly attended 
to it frequently terminates in roup. Food, consisting of boiled mashed 
potatoes, well dusted with black pepper, is good. Pills, made the size of 
a large pea, of mashed potatoes, with cayenne pepper placed in the center, 
and given to them every other day, at feeding time, for a few days, will 
insure a radical cure, and give the fowls a good appetite. Dr. Bennet 
claims that the following will also prove efficacious — it never having been 
known to fail : — Take finely pulverized, fresh burnt charcoal, and new yeast, 



98 THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

of each three parts ; flour, one part ; pulverized sulphur, two parts ; water, 
quantity sufficient to mix well, and make into boluses of the size of a hazel- 
nut, and give one three times a day." Cleanliness he claims to he essential 
in all cases, and frequent bathing of the eyes and nostrils of the fowls with 
warm milk and water. 

Chicken Cholera, — A correspondent of the Department of Agriculture, 
writing from Iowa, says : — " My chickens have been dying with cholera for 
the last two years, — even turkeys have died of the same disease. When I 
notice the fowls begin to droop and look sleepy, I give them three or four 
tablespoonfuls of strong alum water, and repeat the same the next day. I 
also mix their feed with strong alum water, feeding twice a day for two 
or three days — afterwards once a week. Since commencing this practice I 
have not lost any." Another good cure is to give as feed cooked Indian 
meal., red pepper, gunpowder and turpentine, mixed together. Put in a 
day's feed, for a dozen fowls, a tablespoonful each of red pepper, gunpowder 
and turpentine, well mixed through the meal. Give them this food every 
other day for a week or so, and it will in most cases effect a cure. 
Another remedy for this disease is to one gallon of water add one ounce 
of bi-suhphate of soda ; set it where the fowls can drink it. As a preventive 
it is necessary to have the roosting place for the fowls dry and clean ; the 
place where they roost should be cleaned as often as once a week, and 
sprinkled with lime or wood ashes. Feed with dry feed. 

Crop Bound Fowls. — If the crop feels har/l and stone-like to the touch, 
it will be necessary to make an incision with a sharp knife through the skin 
and upper part of the crop and loosen the unpacked mass by some blunt- 
pointed instrument, and remove it. The incision, if small, may be left, but if 
large, a stitch or two is advisable. The birds should then be fed warm, 
soft food for two or three days, — such as mush and potatoes, well mixed 
with cayenne pepper and gentian ; give them plenty of exercise in the 
open air, and they will rapidly recover from the disease. 

Curling in of the Toes of Fowls. — Large fowls, such as Brahma or 
Cochin China, and others, are subject. to corns in the fleshy part of the foot. 
These should be opened, the corn extracted, and the wound dressed with a 
little Venice turpentine, spread on soft cotton or lint, and the foot bound up. 

Diphtheria — Is a disease which originates mainly from improper care and 
sudden changes of weather and variations of temperature. It affects fowls of 
all ages ; is either acute or chronic, sometimes beginning suddenly, at others 
gradually, and seems a kind of lingering consumptive disease. It is also 
occasioned by improper and damp coops and roosts. Fowls, to escape the 
roup, catarrh, pip, gapes and similar diseases, should be fed on wholesome 
food and placed in dry, well ventilated coops — cleanliness proving a great 
assistance to health. It makes its appearance in a way similar to the 
croup in the human being. It fills up the windpipe at its opening with a 



the people's practical poultby book. 99 

sort of white ulcerous substance, and continues to form and spread over 
the entire tongue and mouth, occasionally causing the fowl to cough, raise its 
head, and open its mouth to breathe. The smell from it is very offensive, 
and unless the bird is relieved it pines away and dies. The best cure for 
this disease that we have heard of being used with any degree of success is 
nitrate of silver and powdered borax. Remove the ulcers as much as 
possible, and apply the nitrate of silver with a feather. Powdered borax 
can be applied in the same manner by wetting the feather, dipping it in the 
powder, and swabbing the throat. A little chloride of potassium dissolved 
in the water which is given the fowls to drink, may possibly avert the 
disease — say one-quarter ounce to a half gallon of water. 

Dust Baths. — Fowls in confinement need a dust bath, i. e., a box of mixed 
ashes and earth to wallow in. An ordinary soap box will do, filled two- 
thirds full of dry earth and wood or coal ashes. Wood ashes is preferable 
when it can be obtained. There is no better preventive of lice than this ; 
and the fowls enjoy it hugely. 

Dysentery in Fowls. — Fowls attacked with this disease should be given 
chalk, mixed with boiled rice and milk; a little alum dissolved in their water, 
so as to make it a little rough, will be useful. The food should be dry grain ; 
no food of a laxative tendency should be given them. 

Egg-Bound. — To relieve a hen that is egg-bound, take a common tail 
feather of the hen and strip it until near the tip, and then dip it in sweet 
oil, and let it remain until it becomes thoroughly saturated, then pass the 
feather up the egg-passage till it meets the egg, which you will find will 
relieve the hen at once, and enable her to proceed with her duties ; if she 
experience any further difficulty, repeat the operation, getting the feather 
well' filled with oil whenever you make an application. Do not attempt to 
help nature, in the way of pressure, for in that case the egg may become 
broken and prove fatal to the hen. After you have made the application, 
as directed, let nature take its course, and all will be right. 

Enlargement of Liver and Gall. — This frequently occurs in over-fed 
fowls, or in consequence of feeding unnatural or over-stimulating food. For 
a remedy, feed soft cooked food, so as to make as little call upon the di- 
gestive organs as possible ; give a grain of calomel every other day for a few 
days, and remove the bird to dry, warm quarters. 

Fowls Eating their Feathers. — To prevent fowls eating their feathers 
give them animal food, such as fresh meat, two or three times a week, burnt 
bones, oyster shells, charcoal, together with good clean water and hennery. 
If this does not produce the desired effect, wring their necks, for nothing 
else will prove a cure. 

Frost-Bitten Combs. — Frost-bitten combs can be cured by making a 
thorough appplication of glycerine three times a day. 



100 THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

Gapes in Fowls — Is no new disease, but one with which every poultry 
breeder and fancier should make himself as familiar with as " household 
words ;" for all domestic birds are liable to it, more particularly all young- 
fowls, if not properly guarded against. This disease is most destructive in 
the excessively warm weather of July and August. It is caused by ill- 
ventilated and unclean coops, together with the unwholesome, sour food and 
putrid or impure water, too often given to young fowls ; more particularly 
is this the case with young turkeys. It should be borne in mind, also, that 
the " gapes " is an epidemic disease, and when it once make its appearance in 
a flock of young fowls, those affected with it should at once be removed from 
the coop ; for it is well understood that " an ounce of prevention is better 
than a pound of cure." The gapes is said to be caused by a sort of internal 
worm infesting the wind pipe ; in some instances it has been so observed, but 
it is by no means a sure criterion with all the disorders accompanied with the 
gaping of fowls. The general symptoms of the disease, and those most 
noticeable, are the continual gaping, coughing, dullness, inactivity, loss of 
appetite and sneezing of the fowls attacked. Mr. Mowbray, an eminent 
English breeder, says the " disease first shows itself when the chicken or 
turkey is between three and four months old, and not often after." On the 
contrary, we have seen the disease in its worst form show itself in young 
turkeys and chicks from four weeks to six months of age ; therefore, there is 
no more certainty of fowls being rid of the disease at four weeks old than 
they are at six months old. There are several modes for the treatment of 
turkeys for this disease ; the one which has proved the most successful in 
cases Avhich we have treated, is as follows : — Take a small quill feather, 
stripping the vane, except half an inch from the extremity, of the feathers ; 
this should be dipped in spirits of turpentine, and the diseased turkey or 
chicken, as the case may be, being held, the feather so prepared, is passed 
down through the small opening of the wind-pipe, which is readily seen at 
the base of the tongue, and giving it one or two turns, will generally bring 
up and destroy the worms. The turpentine at once kills the worms, and its 
application excites a fit of coughing, during which those that are not drawn 
out by the feather are expelled by the coughing. After this process being 
used, the young turkeys should be kept for several days in a dry coop, and 
not be allowed to wander in damp, swampy places, or wet grass. Their feed 
should be either cooked corn meal or cracked wheat, which is better, soaked 
in turpentine, given every morning, and the remainder of the day they 
should be fed with boiled whey or sour milk, well sprinkled with black 
pepper ; they should also have plenty of clean, fresh water in the coop. 
Crushed corn soaked in alum water is also said to be a good remedy for gapes. 
Bement, in the American Poulterer's Companion, recommends shutting 
up the turkeys or chickens in a box, with some shavings dipped in spirits ot 
turpentine, when the vapor ai'ising from the extended surface, produces, in 
most cases, a cure. He also recommends creosote, used in the same manner, 
which will produce a like result. We know nothing of the efficacy of these 






THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 101 

remedies, never having tried them; but we do know that spirits of tur- 
pentine will not harm fowls if it does not do them any good. The remedies 
are certainly simple, and no doubt well worthy of trial. 

Gout or facetted Legs. — It is recommended for this disease to rub the leg 
of the fowl affected with fresh grease of any kind once a day for a week, 
when a cure will be effected. Another remedy is to give a grain of calomel 
at night, and three drops of wine of colchicum twice a day, care being taken 
as to warmth, diet, etc., of the fowl. 

Leg Weakness. — This disease occurs in highly-fed, fast-growing chickens. 
Give them animal food once a day, and in warm weather dip the legs for a 
few minutes daily in cold water ; also give them every day three or four 
grains of ammonio-citrate of iron dissolved in water and mixed with meal- 
feed. Keep them from the wet grass. 

Pip. — The pip is occasioned by the forming of a dry, horny scale upon 
the tongue — the beak becomes yellow at the base, the plumage becomes 
ruffled, the bird mopes and pines, the appetite gradually declines to extinc- 
tion, and at length it dies, completely worn out by fever and starvation. 
Give the bird, three times a day, for a week or so, two or three grains of 
black pepper in fresh butter, which will effect a cure. 

Rheumatism. — This disease is caused by exposure in cold, damp and wet 
henneries. It may be prevented by placing the fowls in warm and dry loca- 
tions, free from chilling rains and cold, bleak winds. Feed cooked Indian 
meal and potatoes, made into a mash, mixed with ale, blood warm, twice a 
day. Local applications are useless. 

Roup. — The symptoms of this disease are somewhat similar to those of 
catarrh. The bird has a frothy substance in the inner corner of the eye ; the 
lids swell, and in severe cases the eye-ball is entirely concealed, and the fowl, 
unable to see or feed, suffers from great depression, and sinks rapidly ; the 
foetid smell being unbearable. In aggravated cases the following will be 
found beneficial : — Powdered sulphate of iron, half a drachm ; capsicum 
powder, one drachm; extract of licorice, half an ounce; make into thirty 
pills ; give one at a time three times a day for three days ; then take half an 
ounce of sulphate of iron, and one ounce of cayenne pepper in fine powder. 
Mix carefully a teaspoonful of these powders with butter and divide into 
ten parts ; give one part twice a day. "Wash the head, eyes, and inside of 
the mouth and nostrils with vinegar ; it is very cleansing and beneficial. An- 
other remedy for this disease, one which rarely fails to cure, is to take nitric 
acid, strip a feather to within half or three-fourths of the end, dip the feather 
into the acid, and thrust it into the nostril of the sick bird, giving it a twist 
while in. Repeat this twice or three times a day, removing the burnt scab 
before applying the acid. It is rarely necessary to make a fourth application, 
and very frequently one is sufficient. Mrs. Arbuthnot's remedy is confine- 
ment alone in a warm, dry place ; a tablespoonful of castor oil every morning 



102 THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

for a week ; feed with soft food only, mixed with ale and chopped vegetables. 
In all cases where the bird is attacked with this disease it should be separated 
at once from the coop, and placed in a good dry, warm location, and not 
allowed to mix with other fowls on any consideration. 

Scurvy Legs. — Fowls that show any symptoms of this disease should at 
once be removed from the pen and placed in warm, dry quarters. Give them 
wholesome and animal food as often as once a day ; wash the legs with a 
weak solution of sugar of lead in the morning, and anoint them with clean 
lard, mixed with ointment of creosote in the evening, just before going to 
roost. Don't, on any consideration, allow the fowls to be exposed to drench- 
ing rains or roam in wet or even damp grass ; but keep them warm and as 
quiet as possible until the disease disappears, which, if proper care is taken 
of them, will result in from eight to ten days. 

To Exterminate Lice. — There are almost as many remedies for ridding 
the hennery of lice as there are breeds of fowls. We will in this connection 
give a remedy which we have tried with success — one answering all purposes 
desired. We will guarantee, if the directions are followed, it will extermi- 
nate both the common hen louse and the minute hen spider, (the last named 
being the worse of the two). Take all the hay from the nest and burn it. 
Drive all the hens out. Get an iron pot or vessel of any kind, put it in the 
center of the house ; shut the house as tight as it can be ; put in the pot a 
pound of roll brimstone. Heat a piece of iron as large as a man's fist red 
hot and put in the pot with the brimstone. Keep the house shut close two 
hours, then open and ventilate. Sweep and dust out the house thoroughly. 
Dissolve one pound of potash in one quart of hot water. With an old paint 
brush paint or wash every part of the house, inside and out, roosts, nests and 
every place that can be reached with the solution. Get, now, a quart of ker- 
osene oil and go through the same operation, painting the whole inside of the 
house, saturating the roosts well with it. There will not be a louse left when 
these directions have been followed. It is some work to do it, but it will pay. 
Put fresh hay in the nests and let the hens in. When they go on the nests 
to lay, as soon as the nest is warm, if there are any lice on them the latter 
will leave. They will be seen crawling around the front of the nest boxes ; 
but their lives are short ; they cannot endure this remedy and live. 

Vertigo. — Fowls affected with this disease, Bement says, may be ob- 
served to run round in a circle, or to flutter about with but partial control 
over their muscular actions. The affection is one evidently caused by undue 
determination of blood to the head, and is dependent on a full-blooded state 
of the system. Holding the head of the fowl under a stream of cold water 
for a short time immediately arrests the disease ; and a dose of any aperient, 
cuch as calomel, jalap, or castor oil, removes the tendency to the complaint. 

White Comb — Makes its appearance in the form of small white spots on 
one or both sides of the comb, which are so thickly clustered together as to 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 103 

be mistaken for a sprinkling of meal or other white powder. It seems to be 
of a scorbutic or leprous nature. The disease spreads itself down the neck 
of the fowl, both in front and back, and takes off all the feathers as far as it 
woes leavino- only the stumps. Tegetmeier recommends stimulating, whole- 
some food, say oatmeal and water, with a supply of green vegetables, and 
the administration of some alterative medicine, as flour of sulphur, ten grains, 
and calomel, one grain, given every other night ; and anoint the comb with 
fresh lard. It can be successfully cured by using cocoa-nut oil, powdered 
turmeric and sulphur, made into an ointment, and anointing the part affected 
three or four times a day, and an occasional dose of six grains of jalap. The 
proportions are about a quarter of an ounce turmeric powder to one ounce 
of cocoa-nut oil, and a third of an ounce sulphur. 

Tonic for Poultry. — Mr. Mills, an apothecary of considerable note in 
Bourges, France, in the Journal d? 'Agriculture Pratique, recommends the 
following prescription — one which he avers he has used successfully — as an 
invaluable tonic for debilitated birds, especially in the mortality which is apt 
to prevail when " shooting the red." He says: — " Take cassia bark in fine 
powder, three parts; ginger, ten parts; gentian, one part; anise seed, one 
part ; carbonate of iron, five parts. Mix thoroughly by sifting. A teaspoon- 
ful of the powder should be mingled with the dough for twenty young tur- 
keys each morning and evening. It is of the greatest importance to begin 
the treatment a fortnight before the appearance of the red, and to continue 
it two or three weeks after." 

Molting Fowls should have a few nails placed in the water furnished for 
their use. The rust occasioned by nails renders fowls less liable to disease. 

Tansy is almost a certain preventive of lice upon setting hens. Gather 
it green, and line the nest, at the time of setting the hens. 

FRACTURES OF THE BONES. 

In regard to this matter Tegetmeier says, that " fractures of the bones 
of the body are less likely to occur in birds than in other animals, inasmuch 
as the framework is more completely united together, and is protected from 
injury by the feathers. In cases where fracture of the ribs or other bones 
may be suspected, there would be great difficulty in determining the nature 
of the injury, and I do not think anything more could be done than keeping 
the bird quiet until recovery. In cases of broken wings, the quill feathers 
would prevent any recourse being had to the ordinary method of bandaging. 
The plan I have pursued is, to tie, carefully, the ends of some of the quills 
together in their natural position, with the wing closed ; this prevents motion 
of the broken ends of the bones ; and by keeping the bird in an empty place, 
where there are no perches for it to attempt to fly upon, every chance of 
recovery is afforded. Fracture of the fleshy part of the leg would be less 
manageable, and I can hardly recommend any bandaging that would be 



104 THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

readily applied. The most common fracture in fowls is that of the tarsus, or 
scaly part of the leg. This is usually treated by wrapping a slip of rag round 
the injured limb, and tying it with thread — a very imperfect plan, as motion 
of the broken bones is not prevented, and which is therefore frequently un- 
successful in its results. I always employ a modificatiou of what is known 
to surgeons as a gum splint. The white of an egg is well beaten up with a 
fork, and spread upon a strip of thick, soft brown paper, as wide as can be 
smoothly wrapped around the broken limb. The fowl is held by an assistant, 
the leg slightly stretched, so as to bring the ends of the bones in a straight 
line, the moistened paper wrapped smoothly round several times, and secured 
by two or three turns of thread ; and, lastly, to prevent the parts being 
moved before the paper has become dry and stiff, a thin splint of wood, such 
as is used for lighting pipes, bound with thread on each side ; the wood may 
be removed the following day, as it then adds to the weight. The stiff paper 
forms a bandage which prevents all motion, and so places the limb in the 
best possible condition for union to take place." 

SULPHUR FOR FOWLS. 

We have been advised by a lady friend, who is no novice in rearing 
poultry, that no one who has not had the experience, can imagine the 
beneficial effect a little sulphur mixed with the food of fowls and given 
two or three times a month, will have upon them. Sulphur is good to be 
given in all cases, and seems to permeate through the system of the fowl, 
promoting health and preventing disease. Mix, with the feed intended for 
a dozen fowls, about half an ounce of pulverized sulphur. 



POULTRY HOUSES, YARDS AND RUNS. 



A PLAN OF A POULTRY HOUSE THAT WILL ACCOMMODATE FROM TWENTY TO 
THIRTY FOWLS. 

To those wishing a small hennery or duck house, for the accommodation 
of from twenty to thirty fowls, we commend the following directions as 
worthy of consideration: — In the first place, the house should be in a 
situation that is dry and airy, but not exposed to tempests ; the aspect 
warm, — an eastern or southeastern loeation is the best, — sheltered, if it may 
be, by a screen of trees or shrubbery, so that the birds may have the shelter 
thereof from the summer midday sun, and raw, inclement winds of winter. 
The house should also be constructed so as to give as much warmth as pos- 
sible, with a perfect command of ventilation. The floor should be elevated 
over the general surface, so as to be perfectly dry ; the walls close and sub- 
stantial ; the roof air and water-tight ; windows should be placed opposite 
each other to admit of thorough ventilation ; but one should be closed at 
night, even in summer, to prevent through draft during sleeping hours. 
The windows should be latticed to prevent the fowls pas-sing out or in. The 
roosting perches should commence at about a foot from the ground, and 
ladder-ways, placed twelve inches or so apart, and rising twelve inches, one 
above the other, for cocks and hens. Turkeys require eighteen inches rise, 
and at least two feet apart. The perches to be one and a-half to two inches 
in diameter, with the angles taken off, but not made smoothly round ; nests 
to be constructed in the end walls. The house for twenty fowls should be 
between five and six feet long, ten feet deep, from front to rear, seven feet 
high at the front, and nine or ten feet high at the back. That for turkeys 
must be seven or eight feet long, and the same depth, hight, etc., of the other 
houses. That for ducks may be of the same dimensions as the hen house, 
but requires no perches. A feeding coop may be made in the bottom com- 
partment, two feet wide and two feet high, to suit the large birds ; the 
upper one eighteen inches wide and eighteen inches high, for the smaller 
ones ; the sides and ends to be closely boarded ; the front to be done with 
rounded railing, in which the doors are to be made, also railed, through 
which to take out and put in the fowls ; or the backs may have the doors in 



106 



THE PEOPLES PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



them. Along the front the feeding troughs are to be placed. These coops 
may be placed in a compartment in the same range with the other houses, 
or one resting against the back of the poultry houses. 

A RUSTIC POULTRY HOUSE. 

We can scarcely fancy anything more beautifying in a poultry yard than 
a nice and convenient rustic poultry house, combining convenience with 
simplicity. In this line we find nothing more suitable than the following, 
which we take from Bement's Poulterer's Companion : — For the rustic 
work, join four pieces of saplings in an oblong shape for sills ; confine them 
to the ground ; erect at the middle of each of the two ends a forked post, of 
suitable hight, in order to make the sides quite steep ; join these with a ridge 
pole ; put on any rough or old boards from the apex down to the ground ; 
then cover it with bark, cut in rough pieces, from half to a foot square, laid 
on and confined in the same manner as ordinary shingles ; fix the back end 
in the same way ; and the front can be latticed with little poles with the 




A RUSTIC POULTRY HOUSE. 



THE POOR MAN 8 POULTRY HOUSE. 



bark on, arranged diamond fashion, as shown in the engraving. The door can 
be made in any style of rustic form. The roosts, laying and sitting boxes 
can be placed inside of the house, in almost any position ; either lengthwise 
or in the rear. From the directions here given, a person can easily build a 
fancy rustic house of any desired size, and in almost any location in the 
poultry yard desired. To make the rusticity of the house show off to the 
best advantage, it should be placed amid shrubbery. 

THE POOR MAN'S POULTRY HOUSE. 

The plan is a cheap and economical one — such as can be built with very 
little trouble or expense, combining at the same time a good and con- 
venient poultry yard and house by simply thatching it with straw and brush- 
wood instead of using lumber. The Rural Farmer's Library says it is made 
by forming a circle eighteen or twenty-four feet in diameter, in accordance 
with the size you wish to build ; on the outside of the circle cut a trench, 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL, POULTET BOOK. 



107 



three or four inches wide and deep, and plant poles twelve or eighteen 
inches into the ground every two feet. These poles should be as thick as a 




PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF BROWNE'S POULTRY HOUSE. 



man's arm, eight or ten feet high ; a space on the south side, between two 
poles, should be chosen for a doorway. Then take brushwood, six feet long, 
with the twigs and leaves on, place it against the poles and commence lacing 
some of the stout and straight twigs round the poles in the trench, alter- 
nately twining in and out, similar to basket-work, going the whole round, 



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GROUND PLAN. 



except the doorway. When eight or ten inches high, stamp it well down, 
making it tight and firm. Keep on in the same manner until you have got 
five feet high, then pass the brush over doorway and all, which will make 
it firmer and stronger, continuing up to eight or ten feet in hight ; braid 



108 THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

sometimes on one, and then on the other side of the uprights. The house 
should be placed in the center of this circle. A few stakes, a little more 
brush, and an armful of straw for thatch or roof, will make this answer ; the 
brush must be woven round the poles in the same manner for the house 
that it was for the yard. A straw thatch for roof, it is said, will last 
twenty years, if properly made. It should be formed of good, clean, long 
straw, and as little broken as possible. Wheat or rye straw is preferable; 
put it on ten or twelve inches thick ; some roofs are made eighteen inches 
thick. Tie it close and securely with strips of white oak or hickory bark 
well twisted ; but this every one knows how to perform. The roof should 
have a good pitch, or, in other words, be very steep, so that rain or snow 
may be quickly thrown off. Doors for this house may be made of boards, 
and hinges from the sole of an old shoe. The inside of the house may be 
arranged as desired as regards laying boxes, roosts, etc. The inside of 
the house might be thatched with straw, as well as with brushwood, which 
will make it warmer in winter. With the directions here given, and the 
illustration before him, almost any handy lad upon the farm can build a com- 
fortable hennery and yard. 

browne's poultry house. 

From the American Poultry Yard, by D. J. Browne, we take the 
following description of a very pretty and convenient poultry-house, of 
which we give a perspective view : — " A fowl- 
house," says Mr. Browne, " should be dry, well- 
roofed, and fronting the east or south ; and if prac- 
ticable, in a cold climate, it should be provided 
with a stove, or some other means for heating, 
warmth being very conducive to health and laying, 
though extreme heat has the contrary effect. The 
doi-mitory, or roost, should be well ventilated by 
means of two latticed windows, at opposite ends of 
the building ; and it would be desirable to have 
one or more apertures through the roof for the 
escape of foul air. The sitting apartment, also, 
should be ventilated by means of a large window, 
transverse or cross section. } n t h e s id e f tne house, and holes through the 
ceiling or roof. If kept moderately dark, it will contribute to the quietude 
of the hens, and thus favor the process of incubation. The sitting room 
should be provided with boxes or troughs, well supplied with fresh water 
and proper food for the hens during the hatching period, from Avhich they 
can partake at all times at will. The laying-room, in winter, should have 
similar boxes or troughs containing old mortar, broken oyster-shells, soot, 
brick-dust, gravel and ashes, as well as a liberal supply of proper food and 
drink. The perches, or roosting poles, should be so arranged that one row 




THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 109 

of the fowls should not rest directly over another. They should be so con- 
structed as to enable the fowls to ascend and descend by means of ladders 
or steps, without making much use of their wings ; for heavy fowls fly up 
to their roosts with difficulty, and often injure themselves by descending, 
as they alight heavily upon the ground. The illustration given represents 
a hen-house in perspective, twenty feet long, twelve feet wide, and seven 
feet high to the eaves, with a roof of a seven foot pitch, a chimney-top, a 
ventilator on the peak, twelve feet in length and one foot or more in 
hight, and openings in the gable ends for the admission of fresh air. 
In the easterly end there are two doors, one leading into the laying apart- 
ment and loft, and the other into the hatching-room. In the same end 
there is also a wooden shutter or blind, which may be opened whenever 
necessary to let air or light into the roost. In the back, or northei'ly side, 
there is a large lattice window, three feet above the' floor or ground, 
four by twelve feet, for the purpose of affording fresh air to the sitting 
hens. In front, or southerly side, there is a large glazed window, four by 
twelve feet, and another on the southerly side of the roof, of a corre- 
sponding size, designed to admit light and heat of the sun in cold weather, 
to stimulate the laying hens. In the southerly side there are also two 
small apertures three feet above the ground or floor, for the ingress and 
egress of the fowls. These openings may be provided with sliding shut- 
ters, as well as ' lighting boards,' inside and out,£<and may be guarded by 
sheets of tin, naiied on below them, to prevent the intrusion of rats, weasels, 
or skunks. The building may be constructed of wood or other materials, 
and in such style or order of architecture as may suit one's taste, only pre- 
serving the internal arrangements and proportions in reference to breadth 
and hight. As a general rule, as regards the length of a building, each 
hen, irrespective of the cocks, may be allowed a foot. In the ground plan, 
L denotes the laying apartment ; H the hatching-room, six by twenty feet ; 
n, n, etc., nest-boxes for laying, fourteen by fourteen inches, and ten inches 
deep ; o, o. etc*, nest-boxes for sitting hens, of the same size ; /, a ladder or 
steps leading into the loft ; and #, a stove for warming the apartment, if 
desirable, when the weather is cold. The transverse or cross section shows 
the building from the bottom to the top, with the internal arrangements ; 
L denotes the laying apartment, and H the hatching-room, divided in the 
middle by a partition ; n, the nest-boxes resting on tables, three or four 
feet above the floor or ground; 6, b, boxes or troughs containing water, 
grain, brick-dust, sand, ground oyster shells, or the materials for the con- 
venience of the fowls ; d, an aperture or door three feet above the ground 
or floor, for the ingress and egress of the fowls ; a, a lattice window, three 
feet above the the floor or ground, for the admission of fresh air to the 
sitting hens ; B, the roosting place, or loft, shut off from the laying and 
sitting apartments by the ceilings, c, c ; A, a hole or opening in the ceiling 
for the escape of the air below into the loft; v, the ventilator at the 



110 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



peak of the roof; P, the roosting-pole, or perch ; t, a trough, or bed, for 
retaining the droppings or dung." 

A MODEL HENNERY. 

Among the multiplicity of poultry houses and yards, we were particu- 
larly impressed with those of Isaac Van Winkle, Esq., of Greenville, 
N. J. Mr. W. seems to have an eye to the practical utility, as well as to 
the beauty, of his henneries and surroundings. We present two engravings, 
one of which gives an interior view of the house as it is, with the exception 
that it is divided into sections for different classes of fowls by woven wire 
partitions; the other gives the south elevation of the house, and shows 
the interior of one of the yards. The partitions in the house correspond 
with the size of the yards. The building is nearly seventy-five feet long, 




POULTRY HOUSE AND YARDS — SOUTH ELEVATION. 



thirteen feet high and twelve feet wide. It is built of wood, roof shingled. 
To the highest pitch of the roof it is thirteen feet. The elevation or hight 
from the ground or foundation in front is four feet, which cuts a twelve-foot 
board into three pieces ; the length or pitch of the roof, in front, is twelve 
feet — -just the length of one board, saving a few inches of a ragged end ; 
the pitch of the rear roof is six feet, and the hight of the building from 
the ground to the base of the roof is just six feet, which cuts a twelve- 
foot board into two pieces. The ground plan and frame work are planned 
on the same principles of economy of timber. By this plan no timber 
is wasted, as it all cuts out clean ; there is also a great saving of labor. 
The foundation of the building rests on cedar posts set four feet into the 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



Ill 



ground, to prevent action of the frost in the winter and spring. These are 
regarded very much better than brick or stone piers. This house contains 
eight pens, each of which will accommodate from twenty-five to thirty fowls; 
each pen is nine feet long and eight feet wide. All the pens are divided off 
by wire partitions of one inch mesh. Each pen has a glass window on the 
southern front of the house, extending from the gutter to within one foot 
of the apex of the roof, fixed in permanently with French glass lapping 
over each other, after the fashion of hot-bed sashes ; they are about eleven 
by three feet. Each pen is entered by a wire door six feet high ; from the 
hallway, which is three feet wide ; and these doors are carefully fastened 
with brass padlocks. 




INTERIOR OF POULTRY HOUSE. 

The house is put together with match boards, and the grooves of the 
boards are filled in with white lead and then driven together, so as to make 
the joints impervious to cold or wet. On the rear side of the house there 
are four scuttles or ventilators, two by two feet, placed equidistant from 
each other, and to these are attached iron rods which fit into a slide with a 
screw, so that they can be raised to any hight. These are raised, according 
to the weather, every morning, to let off the foul air. Each pen has a venti- 
lator besides the trap-door at the bottom, same size, which communicates 
with the pens and runs. These lower ventilators are only used in very hot 
weather, to allow a free circulation through the building, and in summer 



112 THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

each pen is shaded from the extreme rays of the sun by thick shades fastened 
upon the inside, so that the inside of the house is cooler than the outside. 
The dropping boards extend the whole width of the pen, and are about 
two feet wide and sixteen inches from the floor ; the roosts are about seven 
inches above and over this board. They are three inches wide and crescent- 
shaped on top, so that the fowls can rest a considerable part of their bodies 
on the perches. Under these dropping boards are the nest-boxes, where the 
fowls lay, and are shaded and secluded. The feeding and drinking troughs 
are made of galvanized iron, and hung with hooks on eyes, so that they can 
be easily removed when they require cleaning. One can stand at one end of 
this long house and see all the chickens on their roosts. By seeing each 
other in this way the fowls are made companionable, and are saved many a 
ferocious fight ; at the same time each kind is kept separated from the other. 
Each pen has a run thirty-three by twelve and fifteen feet ; these runs are 
separated by wire fences twelve feet high, with meshes of two inches. Out- 
side of these small runs is a large run of half an acre, and on the rear are 
other runs of about an acre, all of grass, so that four or five kinds can be out 
at large at a time in these large runs, and into which they are all let out by 
turns. 

The house is surrounded with a drain which carries off all the water 
and moisture, and prevents dampness. Inside, the house is cemented all 
through ; and these cemented floors are covered with gravel about two 
inches deep. The house is heated in the cold weather just enongh to keep 
water from freezing, as Mr. Van Winkle is opposed to much artificial heat, 
and to forcing fowls to lay. At the north end is a small house or shed to 
protect the hens from the north winds, and the entrance is by the south, 
through the shed which is used to keep his feed close at hand. 

The plan of this hennery is remarkable for its simplicity and hygienic 
arrangement. The cost of the labor and material was under five hundred 
dollars. The house is cleaned out every day. "We were there in the hottest 
of last summer weather, and it smelled just as sweet as outside; we could 
not discover the slightest taint to the air inside. Mr. Van Winkle has 
other houses. One about fifty feet long, in which he has, on the second floor, 
a sitting department. This house has five pens, with an office for his 
poulterer. He planned all his own houses, and seems to have a quick eye to 
any improvement. He has succeeded most admirably in all his aims, if we 
judge by results. 

PLAN OF POULTRY HOUSE FOR ONE HUNDRED FOWLS. 

This plan requires the ceiling and sides to be lathed and plastered. The 
partitions are made of smooth lath or boards, and set up endways and 
fastened securely at both ends with a space between them of from one and a 
half to two inches. The nests are twelve inches wide, fifteen inches 
high, and fifteen inches long, and so constructed that they may be slid out 
at pleasure from the laying-room into the sitting-room, reserving room for a 







R j C 

p rb4^ 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. , 113 

door in either case to keep the fowls separate. The doors and windows are 
placed so that a good draft is secured in warm weather, and plenty of light 
in cold weather. The perches are made portable, so that they can be moved 
or taken out at pleasure, to make it convenient to clean out the hennery. 
The length of the building is sixteen by thirty feet, which is divided into six 
rooms or compartments, two are laying and roosting rooms, one sitting 
room, and three for runways or rooms for roamage. 

PLAN OF A SMALL DOUBLE HENNERY. 

Those desiring to keep two distinct breeds of fowls on a village lot, and 
having but little room to do so, we think a small double hennery can be made 
to answer all purposes, in a yard one hundred and forty by thirty-five feet — 
one of which we have seen. It can be made very cheaply, takes up but little 
room, and is considered a model hennery. This lot is surrounded in the rear 
and one side with an ordinary tight board fence ; the coops are at C, and 
runways R, as shown in the plan. The runways are five feet wide — that to 
the rear of the lot being twenty-five feet 
long, the coops being each five feet 
square; the front of each runway is 
lathed up like any ordinary hennery. 
The coops are made tight, in which are 
situated a row of nests at N ; the roosts 
are at P; windows are placed at the 
ends, which admit the light ; S, denotes 
the slots in the coops for the fowls to 
pass in and out of the runways. The 

, , - -. « ,t t , , PLAN OF A SMALL DOUBLE HENNEBY. 

runways on the side of the lot may be 

made the full length of the same, if desired, but twenty-five feet is sufficient 
runway room for seven fowls. The door to each coop is situated in the 
corner, D. This arrangement we think very economical, and answers every 
purpose for keeping two distinct breeds of fowls, in a small space. If 
deemed advisable, the fowls could be let out on the large plat of ground on 
alternate days, to allow them to get grass, and pick up such refuse as comes 
from the kitchen and table. It is a good plan to sift coal ashes in the 
hen-yards for them to wallow in ; also to spade up a portion of it, so that 
they can, in sunning themselves, wallow in the fresh dug earth, which has a 
tendency to keep them clear of vermin. 

RHODE ISLAND POULTRY HOUSE. 

The following plan of a poultry house is taken from the Albany Culti- 
vator, and differs very considerably from those already given. The writer 
who furnishes the plan remarks: — "Some farmers are of an opinion that a 
few boards tacked together, or set against the side of a wall, answer very 
well for the purpose of a hen roost ; but I have come to the conclusion that 
to render our fowls profitable, as much care must be taken of them as of our 




114 



THB PEOPLE'S PKACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



horses and cattle. This house may be built of pine boards, or it may be 
clapboarded and plastered with lime; in either case it should have a good 





Fig. 1. Fig. 2. 

EXPLANATION. 

plank floor. It is twelve feet long, eight feet wide, and seven feet high, 
from the bottom of the sill to the top of the plate." 

Fig. 1. View of the east end ; A, a door, two feet wide and five feet 
high ; E, a small window for ventilation. 

Fig. 2. View of the west end ; N N, two holes one foot square for the 



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EpnTTTT 



entrance of the fowls ; F, a door to throw out the manure ; it turns up and 
hooks at E ; C C , windows with small wire grates. 

Fig. 3. Interior view ; U, a door ; OOOO, boxes for nests, twelve 
inches square, to be placed in three tiers, one above the other ; U, an inside 
door of the same dimensions as the outer one ; B B, are poles, or roosts ; 






FRONT VIEW OP A VIRGINIA POULTRY H0U8E. 



these may be either of sassafras or wild cherry tree. They are fitted to 
swing up and hook at the upper floor. 

Fig. 4. Side view; MM, nests or boxes for brood hens; these should 
have a long door to swing down and hook at the bottom. 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



115 



VIRGINIA POULTRY HOUSE. 



A writer in the fifth volume of the Cultivator says, " I have used the 
poultry house, of which drawings on preceding and this page, are represen- 
sentations, for about eight years, and can testify that it is preferable to 
any known in this section of country, and many of my neighbors have 



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GROUND PLAN. 



onrown aside their old houses and built after my plan. The roosts for the 
fowls should be often renewed, and always of sassafras, as the smell of 
that wood is deleterious to the vermin on poultry. The floor in the sitting 
room should always be kept perfectly clean, and continually covered with 




CHEAP POULTRY HOUSE. 



ashes and lime, and the litter from under the roosts taken away weekly. 
A, the door ; B, the entrance for the fowls ; C C C, the openings underneath 
the mitred floor, where the fowls roost ; DDD, six inch openings to admit 
air ; F, the ground floor, made of earth, elevated above the surface one foot, 
with boxes for the poultry to lay and sit in ; F, a ladder for poultry to go to 







Roosting 


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GROUND PLAN. 




their roosting room ; 66GG, boxes for nests ; H, lattice floor for the litter 
from the poultry to roost in ; I, a round hole, one foot in diameter, for 
fowls to roost ; J J J, lattice windows of blinds three feet wide, and three 
feet six inches deep." 



116 the people's practical poultry book. 

cheap poultry house. 
In third volume of the Country Gentleman we find the plan, on page 115, 
with the annexed elevation, of a cheap poultry house, furnished by a corre- 
spondent. He says : — " I have thought it would not be out of place to send 
you a drawing and plan of one we consider the best, as it can be made to 
accommodate from one dozen to five hundred fowls. The plan I send is 
sixteen feet long by eight feet wide at the bottom, and costs, using one- 
inch matched boards, about one dollar per foot. The present one will cost 
from sixteen to twenty dollars, including sash, doors, and other fixtures. 
The engraving exhibits the plan so clearly that any explanation is altogether 
unnecessary." 

VAK NUXEn's POULTRY HOUSE. 

" Having made some experiments in the raising of chickens, a business 
that forms a part of every farmer's occupation, I send you a description of 
my present plan of operation, which appears to answer admirably. Under 
an outhouse, sixteen by eighteen feet, raised three feet above the ground, I 
have made a cellar three feet below the ground, making the hight six feet 
altogether. Eight feet in width of this cellar is partitioned off for turnips, 
the remaining ten by sixteen feet being sufficiently large to accommodate one 
hundred chickens, or more. This cellar is inclosed with boards at present, 
but it is intended to substitute brick walls in a year or two. The roost is 
made sloping from the roof to within eighteen inches from the ground or 
floor, twelve feet long by six feet wide. The roost is formed in this way : 
Two pieces of two-inch plank, six inches wide, and twelve feet long, are 
fastened parallel, six feet apart, by a spike or pin, to the joist above, the 
lower end resting on a post eighteen inches above the ground. Notches 
are made along the upper edge of the plank, one foot apart, to receive 
sticks or poles from the woods, the bark being left on. When it is desirable 
to clean out the roosts, the poles, being loose, are removed ; the supports, 
working on a pivot, are raised and fastened up, when all is clear for the 
cleaning out. I next provide the fowls with corn, oats and buckwheat in 
three separate apartments, holding about half a bushel each, which are 
kept always supplied. A row of nests is constructed after a plan of my 
own, and does well. It is a box, ten feet long and eighteen inches wide ; the 
bottom level, the top sloping at an angle of forty-five degrees, to prevent the 
fowls roosting on it ; the top opens on hinges. The nests, eight in number, 
are one foot square ; the remaining six inches of the width is a passage way 
next to the wall, open at each end of the box ; the advantage is to give the 
hens the apparent secrecy they are so fond of." 

OCTAGON POULTRY HOUSE. 

Those desirous of keeping from twenty to thirty fowls will find the 
octagon style of a house just the thing for them. It is more ornamental than 
the oblong house and economizes room, where that essential is required. 



THE PEOPLES PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



117 




The object of placing it on piles is to prevent the encroachment of rats and 
other animals that prove so destructive to eggs and fowls, when not properly 
protected. The structure is not a costly one ; any person used to handling 
tools can construct it, at a merely nominal expense, adding ornamentation to 
the structure, as he desires. This building is ten feet in diameter and six 

and a half feet high. The sills are four- 
by-four and the plates three-by-four 
joists, halved and nailed at the joints. 
It is sided with inch -and- a- quarter 
spruce plank, tongued and grooved. 
No upright timbers are used. The 
floor and roofing are of the same kind 
of plank. To guard against leakage 
by shrinkage, the joints may be bat- 
tened with laths or other strips of thin 
board. An eight-square frame sup- 
ports the top of the rafters, leaving an 
opening of ten inches in diameter, on 
which is placed an octagon chimney 
for a ventilator, which makes a very 
pretty finish. The piers should be 
either cedar, chestnut, or locust, two 
feet high, and set on flat stones. 
The letter D, designates the door ; W, W, windows ; L, latticed win- 
dow to admit air, with a shutter to exclude it when necessary ; E, entrance 
for the fowls to alight on when going in ; R, R, are roosts placed spirally, 
one end attached to a post near the center of the room, and the other end to 
the wall ; the first or lowermost one two feet from the floor, and the others 
eighteen inches apart, and rising gradually to 
the top, six feet from the floor. These roosts 
will accommodate forty ordinary sized fowls. 
F, F, is a board floor, on an angle of about 
forty-five degrees, to catch and carry down the 
droppings of the fowls. This arrangement ren- 
ders it much more convenient in cleaning out the 
manure, which should be frequently done. The 
space beneath this floor is appropriated to nests, 
twelve in number, fifteen inches wide, eighteen 
inches deep, and eighteen inches high. In order 
to give an appearance of secretiveness, which it is 
well known the hen is partial to, the front is latticed with strips of lath. By 
this arrangement a free circulation of air is admitted, which adds much to 
the comfort of the hens while sitting. In the foregoing bill of lumber for 
building purposes, spruce is given, but any other lumber convenient and at 



OCTAGON POULTRY HOUSE. 




GROUND FLAN. 



118 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



hand will of course do full as well for the structure. If the lumber used be 
unplaned, paint the building inside and out with either hot lime made to the 
consistency of whitewash, or common paint of the color which most suits 
the fancy. The paint or whitewash not only beautifies the building, but 
preserves it. 

PLAN OF CHARLES MOUNT'S HEN HOUSE. 

This house can be cheaply constructed, and has the advantage of being 
easily kept clean, as the droppings fall on the inside roof, or slide, under the 
roosts, and can be scraped down into the passage ways, (A) and swept out 
at the doors, (B,) in which are the smaller doors, (C,) hung from the bottom, 
and swinging outward and downward at an angle, to allow the fowls to 
enter, at the same time keeping out rats and other vermin — the outer end 




PLAN OP CHARLES MOUNT 8 HEN HOUSE. 



being about six inches from the ground. This door can be closed at night 
and in cold weather. The nests are ranged in tiers on each side of the 
feeding room, the hens having access to the nests (D) by ladders running 
vertically across the face of the platforms, which also give access to the 
roosts. This arrangement of the nests (D) gives the fowls privacy and 
darkness, and allows them to follow their inclination to steal away and 
hide their nests. The nests are easily got at to remove the eggs or clean 
them out, by opening the boards, (E,) which run the whole length of the 
tier of nests, and are hinged at the bottom side and held, when closed, by a 
button at the top. There is a door, (E,) at each side, at the end of the tier 
of nests, opening from the feeding room to the passage on each side, which 
also has an opening in the bottom for the passage of the fowls, fitted with a 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



119 



small door to shut them out when necessary. The roosts (F, F,) are round 
poles, which rest in notches cut in pieces which are fastened to each end of 
the building, which allows of their being taken out to clean. The gable end 
should face to the sun, and have double sash covering the whole size of the 
feeding room down to within one foot six inches of the ground, to let in the 
light and heat of the sun in winter. The roof at the peak is left open for 
ventilation, and surmounted by a double row of pigeon boxes, the under 




POULTRY HOUSE —ELEVATION. 



side of which have boards hung to close in extreme cold weather. The 
whole is surmounted by a vane to give it finish. The house is eighteen by 
thirteen feet, and eight feet post ; is clapboarded outside and ceiled inside 
with worked boards, and filled in with tan bark. It can be floored with 
plank or cemented. 

PLAN OF POULTRY HOUSE THAT WILL ACCOMMODATE ONE HUNDRED FOWLS. 

A yard fifty by one hundred feet is sufficiently large to answer the 
purpose desired by a medium breeder, and upon which one hundred fowls 





GROUND FLOOR. 



SECOND FLOOR. 



can be conveniently kept. But the more room allowed them the better it 
will prove for the health of the brood. This lot should be allowed the fowls 
outside of the dimensions of the hennery. We have seen a flock of one 
hundred fowls well kept upon the space mentioned. A poultry house, con- 
taining two floors, constructed on the following plan, which we take from 



120 the people's practical poultry book. 

the Scottish Farmer, will accommodate, very comfortably, one hundred 
fowls during winter and summer, provided they are allowed the liberty of 
roaming in a small yard during pleasant weather. The cost of the building, 
of course, will vary according to style of construction and price of materials. 
The house is considered, in England, a desirable one, and answers the pur- 
pose so well that it is being extensively used by poultry fanciers of limited 
means. The plan presents some features of novelty as well as of utility. 
The posts of the frame, if built of wood, may be not over nine feet high, by 
resting the sills on concrete walls of three feet, where it is convenient to 
build on a slight inclination. Seven and a-half feet in hight will do for 
feeding room and the manure pit, which may be formed by running a wall 
three feet high, as shown by the dotted line. The manure may be thrown 
in through the door, which opens near. Three windows on the south side 
will give light and warmth. The second floor may be lathed up the roof, to 
give sufficient hight in the center, which will be four and a-half feet under 
the eaves of the roof. The nests are set in the partition, one foot from the 
floor, one foot high, and one and a-half feet long, open at both ends with a 
slide door, which is reversed when a hen is sitting, so that she is placed in 
the opposite or sitting room, and thus the others never disturb her. A door 




CHEAP POULTRY HOUSE. 

to communicate between the rooms and windows in the end and south side 
will give sufficient light and warmth. The whole may be lathed and 
plastered, or ceiled up, either of which will make it a warm and durable 
building. The lower floor is much the best for roosting and feeding, while 
the hens can quite readily ascend to lay and sit on the upper floor with 
equally good success. " This plan will give eighty feet of outside wall and 
eight hundred feet of floor." 

CHEAP POULTRY HOUSE. 

Here is another house, designed to meet the wants of a person who 
cannot afford to put up a poultry house, and who has but a small yard for 
fowls to run in. The figure illustrates the design of the house. On the right 
is the house, with door. The house is four feet long, three and a half feet 
wide, twenty inches high at the sides, and thirty inches at the peak. Inside 
are a roost and a couple of nests. In the rear of the yard a coop is attached 
to the house, as shown in the drawing, in lattice work. It is five feet long, 
and the same width, hight, and shape as the house. The house opens into 
the yard by a hole a few inches from the ground ; it is ventilated by a few 
auger holes bored in each end in the peak. A pane or two of glass may be 
put in, if desirable. This coop -can be moved daily, so that the fowls will be 



THE PEOPLES PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



121 



on fresh ground. It will accommodate a cock and six hens. For breeding 
purposes, where it is desirous to coop up a particular trio or more, it is 
invaluable. 

A HEOTEET THAT WILL ACCOMMODATE PROM TWO HUNDRED TO TWO HUN- 
DRED AND FIFTY FOWLS. 

Mr. G. O. Brown of Maryland, gives the following as a plan of a cheap 
and convenient hennery, for those wishing to keep a large number of fowls. 
He says: — "The drawing of the building shows the north and west sides. 
The building is sixteen by twenty feet, sixteen feet high to roof peak. Fig. 
2 represents the inside of the building as follows : — C, roosting and general 
room ; B, egg room, feed room, etc. ; A, A, A, are nests. In the recess 
there are three rows of nests, one 
above the other ; 5, door opening from 
outside building ; 6, door opening from 
feed room to recess, nest boxes and 
roosting room.. Fig. 3, nest boxes, 
thirteen by twenty inches. These 
boxes are all movable, so that I arrange 
them to suit circumstances. By raising 
a board, hinged, one can readily ex- 
amine the nests from the feed or egg 
room. Should a hen wish to sit, take 
out one of the nest boxes, turn it end 
for end, thereby placing the end that 
is closed up in the roosting room, 
which prevents the other hens from 
bothering or annoying her. I have it 
so arranged that the sitting hen can go 
out in a little yard, scratch and dust 
without any inconvenience or annoy- 
ance from the others. The egg or feed A HSNNEET THAT ™ accommodate 250 potos. 
room has shelves in it, and a loft, (which is reached by a ladder made 
fast up the side,) where the feed is kept. Fig. 4 represents the roosts, two 
feet apart, of sassafras. Fig. 5 represents a flooring of boards, with the same 
slant as the roosts, but placed two feet away from the roost. The droppings 
falling on these boards, roll down into a trough at the lower end, as shown. 
In the east side of the house I have one large sliding window, and in the 
south side two, with wire fenders or screens, over all three. A building of 
this size and kind can accommodate two hundred to two hundred and fifty 
chickens with ample room. 

PLAN OF POULTRY HOUSE THAT WILL ACCOMMODATE THREE DISTINCT BREEDS. 

The building is enclosed with worked spruce or pine boards, put on 
vertically, and the hight so arranged that each board will cut to avoid 




122 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



waste. Elevation — Length, twenty-four feet; width, eleven feet; hight 
in front, nine and a half feet ; hight in rear, six and a half feet. All the 



pilllllllllllllll! 


I 


lllllllllllllllllllfl 


iiiiiiiiiiiiliiiii|l^ 




J 


Jill 




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ill 


iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii'i 


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llllllllllllllllllll Pllllii 



POULTET HOUSE — ELEVATION. 

pieces are cut off of the full lengths in front, making just half a rear length. 
The rafters, of thirteen feet joist, with either battened or shingle roof as 
preferred. 

PLAN AND YARD. 

The building is supposed to face the south. The entrance door, E, open- 
ing into the passage, P, three and a half feet wide, which runs the length of the 

building ; smaller doors, D, each two 
feet wide, opening into the roosting 
rooms, R. The nests are raised about 
a foot from the floor, and also open 
into the rooms R, with a hinged board 
in the passage so that the eggs can be 
removed without entering the roosting 
rooms. The perches, A, are movable, 
perfectly level, and raised two feet 
from the floor. The partition walls 
are tight, two boards high, above which 
is lath; the passage wall above the 
nests, and the doors, D, D, D, being of 
lath also. The roosting rooms are seven and a half by eight feet, large 
enough for twenty-five fowls each. Windows are six feet square, raised one 
foot from the floor. We prefer the glass to be six by eight or seven by nine 
inches — as these small sizes need no protection strips to prevent the fowls 
from breaking them. The holes, H, for egress and ingress of the fowls, are 
closed by a drop door worked by a cord and pulley from the passage way. 
Another door can be placed in the other end of the passage way if desirable. 
This arrangement of the yards, Y, of course would not suit every one ; 
some would prefer smaller yards, making each yard the width of the room 
and adding to its length. We can only say " cut your garment according to 
your cloth " — cut your yard according to your ground. The house above 
is designed for only three varieties ; but by simply adding to the length, any 
number of breeds may be accommodated. The simplest and most economi- 
cal foundation is to set locust or oak posts about four feet deep, every eight 
feet, and spike the sills on them. There is then no heaving from frost ; fmd 
all the underpinning necessary is a board nailed to the sill and extending 





^ ' f 






N | 1 1 | 


^\ ." "^ 


1 M»Hiy 


Y 




R 




R 




R 




































F 





PLAN AND YARD. 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



123 



into the ground a couple of inches. A sitting room can be added by making 
the building four feet longer. The room should be in the end next the door, 
so as to be always within notice. 

ME. HAWLET'S POULTRY HOUSE. 

Mr. Hawley gave in the Rural New- Yorker, a few years since, a plan 
and description of a poultry house which he said proved a success with him 
during severe cold weather — the thermometer indicating only three degrees 
below freezing, when it was fifteen degrees below zero outside. The house 
is twenty feet long, eight feet wide on the bottom, six feet high in the rear, 
six and one-quarter feet in roof. It is built of matched and dressed lumber 




OCTAGONAL POULTBY HOUSE. 



for the outside, battened with strips and well painted. The frame is three 
by four inch joist — lathed and filled in with sawdust on all sides and roof, 





GBOTOTD PLAN. 



END SECTION. 



then plastered. Gravel bottom. There are three windows, twelve lights, 
nine by thirteen, both sashes movable, and a light frame, one-half the size 
of the windows, prevents the fowls from escaping when the sashes are 
raised or dropped. , The building is divided into three comfortable coops. 
There is ample room for two lengths of roosts, under which there is a plat- 
form to catch the droppings, thereby insuring cleanliness, so essential to the 



124 the people's practical poultry book. 

health of the occupants. The nests are " secret," built on the ground. A 
window in the door regulates the temperature of the house. 

OCTAGONAL POULTRY HOUSE. 

The Canada Farmer gives the following plan for an octagonal poultry 
house, and says " that form is chosen as offering a greater internal space for 
the same extent of wall than the square form. The door occupies one of 
the sides, the windows two of the others. The roof is supported by a cen- 
tral pillar, F, and, if desired, may have a lantern light at the top, with 
louvre boards, or other openings, for ventilation. The center pillar is by far 
the best plan of supporting the roof, for if horizontal tie-beams are used, the 
fowls will unquestionably perch on them. Around seven sides of the in- 
terior runs a broad, stout shelf C, C, over which the two lines of perches 
D, D, are supported on inclined rests. Underneath C, C, is a narrower 
shelf for the nest boxes E, E. If desired, movable baskets or boxes can be 
placed on this shelf. 

" The advantages of this arrangement are obvious. The fowls, following 
the natural instinct which leads them to select the highest perches, roost 
over the shelf, and the nest boxes are undefiled. The manure on the shelf is 
in a position in which it can be easily scraped away with a flat hoe or 
scraper, and the shelf sanded daily. The floor is kept free from filth, and the 
house consequently always preserved clean and wholesome. The space under 
the nest-boxes will serve for the cooping of the hens with chickens, if no 
better situation offers. If extreme cheapness of construction be an object, 
the house may be built by driving light poles into the ground at equal 
distances, and closing in the spaces between them with weather boarding. 
The form admits of easy ornamentation, and may be adapted to harmonize 
with almost any style of buildings." 



A FANCY POULTRY HOUSE. 



ul- 



In closing our remarks on poultry houses, we cannot do so without p 
senting to those who can afford it, and who wish to display more taste 
this branch of economy, an illustration of a Gothic or Chinese style of pou 
try house, which we take, together with the description, from the American 
Poulterer 's Companion. It is a very neat and pretty looking structure, and 
is designed for a poultry house and yard for breeding fowls, ducks and 
pigeons. It is intended to stand in the center of a piece of grass land or 
park, and if on a slight knoll or mound so much the better. If the soil is 
inclined to clay, it should be excavated all around the building at least two 
feet deep, and first a layer of stones about one and a half feet deep, then 
covered with coarse gravel and sand. This is desirable — for we consider it 
almost essential to success — stagnant moisture or wet in the soil being more 
conducive to disease than any other circumstance. A southern aspect is the 
best, and if sheltered from the north and northwest, by plantations of ever- 
greens, it will not only be a protection from the cold winds of winter, but a 



THE PEOPLE S PEACTICAL POULTBT BOOK. 



12L 



shelter from the rays of the sun in summer. The houses and yards must be 
constructed to suit the views and purposes of the proprietor. The yards 
should be fenced with pickets at least six and a half feet high — wire would 
be more ornamental but rather expensive. Not less than one-fourth of an 
acre should be allowed for fifty fowls. The walls of the poultry house should 
be of brick, nine inches thick, and hollow ; they should be at least twelve 
feet high, so that the roof can project some four feet, forming a shed for 
protecting the fowls from the storm. The front of the shed may be formed 




FANCY POTTLTBY HOUSE. 



of lath or any other kind of wood, in a rustic manner, forming a trellis on 
which vines might be trained, which would add much to its appearance ; or 
it may be inclosed with glass, and grapes grown on the rafters ; or nests may 
be placed in these sheds for sitting hens. 

We may observe here, that whichever plan is adopted, the cheapest and 
warmest materials of which to construct the house are a wood frame and a 
weather-boarding, either of clapboards, or ceiled up and down with narrow 
battens. It should be ceiled within with hemlock boards, tongued and 
grooved, and laid crosswise, and filled in between the timbers with spent 
tan, or any other dry substance, well rammed or packed in. Or the spaces 
between the posts may be filled in with brick and a thin coat of plaster. In 
either case, whether of brick or wood, it should be whitewashed with lime. 
The roof should also be ceiled with boards and filled in with tan, which 
would render it cooler in summer and warmer in winter. The interior may 



126 THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL, POULTRY BOOK. 

be finished to accommodate the kind of stock intended to be kept. If for 
the large Asiatic fowls, the perches should be low, or the floor of their roost- 
ing room may be covered with straw ; in which case it should be cleansed, 
or the straw changed daily. The cupola is intended for a pigeon house. The 
holes by which they enter should not be too large or numerous., and should 
have a shelf at the entrance. The upper tier should have a roof or weather- 
boarding over them to keep out the wet. An objection to a wooden pigeon 
house is, that they are too cold in winter and too hot in summer ; but this 
may be in a great measure prevented by making the wood double, with a 
space of two or three inches between, which will form a non-conductor of 
heat. 



POULTRY APPLIANCES. 



CHICKEN-COOPS OR PENS, 



FEEDING-HOPPERS AND TROUGHS, 
TAINS, ETC. 



WATER-FOTTN- 



As the rearing, management and care of all kinds of poultry is much 
facilitated, as well as rendered more certainly remunerative by the aid of 
suitable appliances, we give herewith engravings and descriptions of those 
we have been enabled to cull from the sources at command, and which are 
deemed every way suited to the ends desired. 







CHICKEN HOUSE — EXTEKIOB VIEW. 



The march of improvement in the building of chicken houses seems to be 
as manifest as in most other things, and anything new in this line is sought 
after with interest by the amateur or breeder of fancy fowls. We give an 
illustration (two views) of one of these houses, which struck us as being the 
ne plus ultra of chicken coops. It is sketched from coops we saw on the 



128 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



grounds of Isaac Van Winkle, Esq., of New-Jersey. One illustration 
shows the house with the end open, giving an interior view, while the other 
shows the exterior. These houses are movable ; made of matched boards 
nailed to posts, two by two inches, on each end, and side or section, and 
hooks and staples placed at the top and bottom of the posts, on each inside, 
so that instead of being nailed together as a whole, it is hooked up in sec- 
tions, as shown in the engraving, with front section down. By this means 
the coop can be taken down and moved to any place desired. At the rear 
of the runway is placed a tight coop, as shown, into which the hen and 
chickens can retire to roost ; the slide being closed, makes it perfectly rat or 
vermin proof. In the end of the tight coop are three or four one-inch holes 




CHICKEN HOUSE — INTERIOR VIEW. 



made for ventilation. The top of the runway is covered with a movable 
glass sash — hot-bed fashion — under which chickens can be reared in the 
coldest weather. For ventilation, the sash can be slid off, as seen by refer- 
ence to the cut, or, if desired, the sash being placed in a groove, can be re- 
moved entirely from the top of the coop. It strikes us that this house, when 
it becomes more known, will somewhat revolutionize the rearing of early 
spring chicks. It is so constructed that any person at all conversant with 
the use of tools can put one up in short order and with comparatively little 
expense. 

It is frequently recommended to breeders to build their chicken-coops 
with floors in them. We cannot see any particular benefit derived fror 
having coops with wooden floors ; on the contrary, we are of the opinion it 
inclines the chicks to weakness. Our mode is to let the chickens have free 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



129 



access to the ground, or, what is better, let the coop be placed over a flooring 
of ashes, made about two inches thick, so that the mother-hen can dust her- 
self at pleasure. 

THE RAT-PROOF COOP 

is our beau-ideal of what a chicken-coop should be. It can be moved at will, 
and at evening, or in stormy weather, the hen and chickens can be driven in 
and the coop closed up, making it both rat and water-proof. Then again, 
there is 

THE TEISTT COOP, 




EAT-PKOOF COOP. 



which answers a good purpose for either young turkeys or chickens; is easily 
constructed, and, having no floor, can be moved to any light or sandy soil, 
which will answer in lieu of ashes for the chicks and hen to dust themselves 
m, which keeps off vermin. 




THE PENT OR LEAN-TO COOP. THE PEN COOP. 

There is another form of coop which we have, but it has no advantages 
to our mir,d over either of the preceding ones, unless it be that in this shape 
it affords more room. It is made of clapboards and lathed or lattice-worked 
across the whole front of the coop and about half-way up as shown in the 
engraving. The back, sides and top are made of clapboards, but any kind 
of boards might be used. We used the clapboards for the sake of mak- 
ing the coop light, so that it could be handled easily. The size is four and a 
half feet long — two and a half feet wide — front three feet high and with a 
pitch of half a foot to the rear ; the front of the coop being clapboarded one 
foot down, leaving two feet for the length of the laths in front. The clap- 
board in front has the effect to prevent the storm from beating in upon the 
hen and chicks which are confined within the coops. 



130 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



PEX CHICKEN COOP. 



The illustration, as shown on page 129, gives a good idea of a pen coop, 
which may be made large enough to contain a cock and four hens for breed- 
ing purposes, where they can enjoy the sun and fresh air, yet be protected 
from stormy weather. The dimensions are as follows : — Pen four feet high 
in front and three feet in the rear, six feet long and four wide. The yard, 
ten feet long and six wide, to be enclosed with lath four feet high. If de- 
sired, the top may be covered also. The pen may be made with common 



^b^^^ 





THE BARREL COOP. 



THK CLOSE COOP. 



boards, and battened up as shown in the cut. The holes in the ends are 
made to admit a free circulation of air. This house may, of course, be 
reduced to a size sufficient to keep a hen and chickens. If used for that pur- 
pose the coop may be say twenty inches high in front, fifteen in rear, and 
twenty inches square on the bottom, making it light and movable. 

THE BARREL COOP. 

This is an appliance to keep chicks, that any one can make, with verj 
little trouble, as will be seen by our illustration. All that is necessary is t< 
place a common flour or other old barrel on its side, take out one of tlu 
heads, place some straw in the back end of the barrel ; put the hen an< 
chicks in ; have some lath or strips of board at hand, with one end sharpened 
and drive them into the ground in front of the coop and your work is 
accomplished. ' 

THE CLOSE CHICKEN COOP. 

This coop is very handy, and may be made of inch boards (see illustra- 
tion,) long enough to admit of any number of fowls. A, A, are slats raised 
for admitting the fowls ; B, B, doors to open and shut at night, to prevent 
the intrusion of any kind of vermin ; C, button for fastening the doors. Am 
common dry goods or other large box will answer the purpose desired. 
Cleats can be nailed on, as shown in the engraving, which makes it a light, 
warm and airy coop in summer. Holes should be bored in one end and in 
the top for ventilators. 

FEEDING HOPPERS AND TROUGHS. 

In giving descriptions of the different varieties of Feeding Hoppers or 
Troughs being used by poulterers in their endeavor to facilitate the workings 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



131 



of domestic economy in the poultry yard, we cannot do better than to com- 
mence by presenting for inspection and adoption, if desired, a plan of the 
Scotch Feeding Hopper, taken from Loudon 's Encyclopedia of Agriculture, 
the description of which is given below. 




A SCOTCH FEEDING HOPPER. 



A PERFECT FEEDING HOPPER. 



THE SCOTCH FEEDING HOPPER 

can be made to contain any quantity of corn required, and none wasted. 
When once filled it requires no more trouble, as the grain falls into the 
receiver below as the fowls pick it away ; and the covers on that, which are 
opened by the perches, and the cover on the top, protect the grain from rain, 
so that the fowls always get it quite dry ; and as nothing less than the weight 
of a fowl on the perch can lift the cover on the lower receiver, rats and 
mice are excluded. In this connection we give an engraving of what is 
called 

A PERFECT FEEDING HOPPER, 

in BemenCs Poulterer's Companion, which we think superior to that of the 
Scotch plan, and which, from the description here given, can be easily con- 
structed by any person. " A is an end view, eight inches wide, two feet six 
inches high, and three feet long ; B, the roof projecting over the perch on 
which the fowls stand while feeding ; C, the lid of the receiving manger 
raised, exhibiting the grain ; E, E, cords attached to the perch and lid of the 
manger or feeding trough ; I, end bar of the perch, with a weight attached 
to the end to balance the lid, otherwise it would not close when the fowls 
leave the perch ; H, pulley; G, fulcrum. The hinges on the top show that it 
is to be raised when the hopper is to be replenished. When a fowl desires 
food, it hops upon the bars of the perch, the weight of which raises the lid 
of the feed box, exposing the grain to view, and after satisfying its hunger 
jumps off, and the lid closes." Of course the dimensions of either of these 
feeding hoppers may be increased to any size desired. 



132 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



STANDARD SELF-FEEDING HOPPER. 

This feeding hopper is two feet square, the posts eighteen inches high, 
three inches square ; the upper section of the box is six inches Jeep, the ends 
are mortised into or nailed to the posts. From the bottom of this square the 
tapering part of the grain box reaches to within one inch of the floor, which 
should be raised on feet about six inches from the ground ; the grain box 

tapers to one foot square, and to bring 
the grain within reach of the fowls, a 
cone, as shown at A, is placed in the cen- 
ter of the floor, and should be so much 
smaller than the funnel part of the hop- 
per as to leave at least one inch space all 




— ^ife- 




STANDARD SELF-FEEDING HOPPER. 



FUNNEL AND CONE. 



around the cone, which forces the grain to the edge, where, as the fowls pick 
the grain away, more will fall and keep a constant supply within reach of the 
fowls, as long as any is left in the hopper. The slats on the sides are in- 
tended to prevent the fowls from getting into the trough or crowding one 
another. This hopper will hold about two bushels of grain, and if the roof 
projected one foot all round it, it would protect it completely from rain. It 
occupies but little space, and from twelve to sixteen fowls can feed at the 
same time. 




A STOOL FEEDING HOPPER. 



A CHEAP FEEDING HOPPER. 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 133 

A STOOL FEEDING-HOPPER, 

which is proof against rats, can be made as follows : — Make a platform two 
or three feet square, as the case may be ; then make a square box, three 
inches high and sixteen inches square ; nail it in the center of the platform ; 
saw strips one and one-fourth inches square and eighteen inches high for the 
posts ; nail strips of boards, two inches wide, to the posts at top, to secure 
and steady them ; then take common lath, or any thin stuff, one and one-half 
or two inches wide, and nail them to the top and bottom, up and down, leav- 
ing a space of two inches between each slat, so that the fowls can get at the 
feed. The roof may be four-square, as shown in the engraving, and detached 
so that it can be raised when required to be replenished with grain. Elevate 
the hopper on a post about three feet from the ground, as shown in the cut, 
which makes it rat and mice proof. The fowls will soon learn to leap upon 
the platform, and feed from the grain box between the slats. 

A CHEAP FEEDING-HOPPER. 

There is a cheap plan for a Feeding-Hopper, which can be made out of an 
old candle-box, for the want of a better thing. Take off the lid and one of 
the sides ; let the ends, bottom and one side remain ; cut a small strip off one 
end of the lid, so that it will slip in between the ends of the box, placing the 
lower edge one and a half inches from the' side and an inch from the bottom ; 
the other edge of the lid is to reach the top and outside corners of the ends, 
thus forming a deep, angular box, with long aperture at the bottom. As 
shown in the cut, the lid forms the slanting side B ; C, forms the trough, 
where the corn will descend down to it when put into the angular box ; then 
put hinges on the lid, A ; the open part of the hopper has a row (D) of slats 
two inches apart ; these slats should be brought to the edge of the box, so 
that the fowls can just reach the bottom of the angle ; the corn falls down as 
fast as the fowls pick it away. 

DOUBLE FEEDING HOPPER. 

This hopper was highly commended by the late 1ST. C. Bement. .It is nine 
feet long and nine inches wide ; end pieces fourteen inches high, and the bot- 
tom raised six inches from the ground ; the ends nailed to the bottom, and 
a strip of board four inches wide was 
firmly nailed on the sides, raised three 
inches above the bottom board, form- 
ing a manger or trough to prevent any 
Avaste of food. Another strip of board 
three inches wide was nailed on the top 
in front to secure the ends. The hop- doubus feeding hopper. 

per to contain the grain was formed of two pieces of board, nine- inches 
wide, set between the ends forming a V, the upper edges lying against the 
front top strips and the bottom resting on some small blocks, from one 




134 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



to two inches high, sufficient to allow the grain to fall down as the fowls pick 
it away. It may be made to open and shut at the bottom to suit the differ- 
ent sizes of grain. The top or roof may be made of the same width as the 
box, or it may extend over the sides sufficiently to protect the fowls from rain 
when feeding. Narrow strips of lath must be nailed to the top and bottom 
pieces, leaving space enough between them for the fowls to enter their heads 
when eating. It is open on both sides, and one of this size is sufficient for 
seventy-five fowls. 

FEEDING TROUGHS. 

It has been frequently suggested that in feeding fowls soft food, instead 
of throwing it upon the ground, thereby wasting the larger portion of it, a 
dish or trough of some wort should be 
placed in the hennery or coop to con- 
tain the food. In figure 1 we give an ~-~j: 
engraving of a trough that may be == 





Fig. 1. Fig. 2 

procured at little cost, which will meet the wants of most breeders. It can 
be made of zinc, tin, or earthenware, in an oblong form, to any desired 
length — width four inches, and two to four inches deep. To prevent the 
chicks getting into the trough and scratching the food out, a loose curved 
cover, made of tin, zinc, or wood, in form as seen in figure 2, will answer the 
purpose. The wires which support the cover should be perpendicular, ten 
to twelve inches high, and set two and a half inches apart. One end of the 
wire may be driven into the ground, if desired, for a stationary feed box, in- 
stead of having the top and bottom of the cover soldered to the wire. 

This trough can be made very cheaply 

A by any tinsmith, and will economize 

wi food enough during one season to pay 

for more than a dozen such troughs. 




Fig. 3. Fig. 4. 

Figure 3 is a trough divided by the partition P. If desired, one part may 
contain water and the other food, the whole being covered with a screen 
made of lath nailed together in the form shown, and kept in position by the 
ends of the center laths fitting in and keyed to the ends of the trough. The 
bottom is square or of triangle form. This is for the use of grown poultry. 
The lattice work prevents them getting into the food with their feet. A 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



1U5 



cheap and substantial feed or water dish is shown in figure 4. The sides of 
an old tin pan are connected together by a net- work of wire passing through 
holes beneath the rim, and crossing above the center at the various angles. 



DRINKING FOUNTAINS. 



Figure 1 shows a barrel fountain ; it has a small tube extending from the 
cask to a shallow dish or pan, which should be small, so that the fowls cannot 
get into it and soil the water. Figure 2 shows a bottle fountain, which may 




Pig. 1. — Barrel Fountain. Fig. 2. — Bottle Fountain. 

be made by taking a two or three inch plank and scooping it out one and 
a half inches, forming a shallow trough ; then make a frame similar to the 
figure shown, and insert the neck of the bottle, the nozzle reaching to within 
three-quarters of an inch of the bottom of the trough. Either of these de- 
signs will answer all purposes of a drinking fountain for the poultry yard. 

THE ORDINARY POULTRY FOUNTAIN 

is too well known to need description, but a rather better form than is usually 
made is shown in figure 3. The advantages of such a construction are two; 





the top being open, and fitted with a cork, the state of the interior can be 
examined, and the vessel well sluiced through to remove the green slime 



136 THE PEOPLES PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

which always collects by degrees, and is very prejudicial to health ; and the 
trough being slightly raised from the ground, instead of upon it, the water 
is less easily fouled. But either form, if placed with the trough towards the 
wall, at a few inches distance from it, will keep the water clean very well. 
Some experienced breeders prefer shallow pans ; but if these be adopted they 
must be either put behind rails, with a board over, or protected by a cover, 
in the same way as the feeding troughs already described. 

WINTER WATER FOUNTAIN. 

We are indebted to the American Agriculturist for the description and 
manner of keeping water from freezing in the fountain in winter, also for a 
duck-feeding contrivance, and for the plan of a beautiful rustic duck coop, 
herewith given. In ^describing these appliances it says: — "There is almost 




Fig. 3. — Feed Box for Ducks. 

always some difficulty in keeping fowls supplied with water in cold weather. 
We have had no trouble since adopting the following expedient. A barrel 
is sawed into two tubs, and an earthen jug placed in one of the tubs, the 
bottom of the jug and that of the tub being in contact, or nearly so, and the 
mouth of the jug close to the rim of the tub. The jug may be fixed in posi- 
tion by a few sticks, nailed across the tub inside. The tub is then stuffed 
full of horse litter and manure, and strips nailed across the top to keep it in. 
When this is done we fill the jug with water, put in a cork, and invert tub 
and all. (See figure 2.) Then the cork is withdrawn at the same time that 
a small pan is slipped under. The pan remains full during the day, and, if 
set in the sun, will not freeze so much as a film of ice upon the surface, even 
out of doors, except on the severest days. At night the pan should be with- 
drawn, and the water allowed to flow out. 

CONTRIVANCE FOR FEEDING DUCKS. 

" A simple contrivance for feeding ducks and not allowing chickens to 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



137 



share their food, was shown ns lately at the yard of a subscriber, and 
we have had it engraved (figure 3.) The food was placed in a square, 
flat pan, in which a few bricks were laid, filling the middle of the pan, to 
prevent the food being shoved beyond the reach of the ducks. Then a box 
was turned over the pan and contents, and supported upon a brick at each 
corner. After a little experience the ducks learned to run their flexible necks 
under and fill themselves, while the disconsolate hens could get nothing. 
Ducks will increase rapidly in weight if they have all the soft food they can 
eat. The best place for them to pass the nights in winter is upon a fresh 
manure heap, under cover. If one wishes to feed chickens and not ducks, a 
convenient way is to lay a board or two, to put the feed on, upon two bar- 
rels or wooden horses. 




Fig. 4. — Duck House. 



RUSTIC DUCK HOUSE. 

" In figure 4 we have represented a rustic, bark-roofed duck coop, which 
might be used either to confine an old duck and her brood at night, provided 
the slat-work was so close as to prevent the entrance of rats or weasels, or 
to confine a hen with a brood of ducklings, in which case the openings would 
need to be larger, and the coop would have to be shut up at night by a close 
front. There is more danger to young ducks from rats than from any other 
cause." 

WIRE-COVERED EUN. 

We find in the Practical Poultry Keeper what is termed therein a wire- 
covered run for chickens, and is deemed by the author a sensible way to 
keep the young chicks from being destroyed by cats or rats. The plan 
strikes us as being one worthy of consideration ; we therefore give it space 



138 



THE PEOPLE S PKACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



in our pages, together with the remarks accompanying the engraving : — 
" Cats sometimes make sad inroads on the broods. If this nuisance be great 
it is well to confine the coveted prey while young within a wire-covered run. 
And the best way of forming such a run is to stretch some inch-mesh wire- 
netting, two feet wide, upon a light wooden frame, so as to form two wire 
hurdles, two feet wide and about six feet long, with one three feet long. 
These are easily lashed together with string to form a run six feet by 
three, and may be covered by a similar hurdle of two-inch mesh three 




CHICKEN COOP AND W 11:10 BUN, 



feet wide. In such a run all animal depredations may be defied ; and in any 
case we should recommend its use until the chicks are a fortnight old ; it 
saves a world of trouble and anxiety, and prevents the brood wandering and 
getting over- tired. By having an assortment of such hurdles, portable runs 
can be constructed in a few minutes of any extent required, and will be 
found of great advantage until the broods are strong. The hen may also be 
given her liberty within the prescribed bounds." 

DUCK HOUSE. 

A plan of a very cheap and pretty duck house is given in the American 
Poulterer 's Companion, to be constructed after the style of the engraving 
herewith given. It should be placed on the bank of a pond or small island 




DUCK TENT HOUSE. 



of an ornamental sheet of water. It may be constructed of rough boards 
thatched with straw, and partly covered with running vines and shrubbery, 



the people's practical poultry book. 139 

which would not only be ornamental but make a very pretty and cheap house 
for aquatic fowls. The interior arrangement of the house may vary accord- 
ing to the means and taste of the proprietor, only providing the ducks with 
nest boxes, in order that they may lay and incubate undisturbed, and afford- 
ing proper protection for their young. 

TURKEY HOUSE AND NEST. 

To save the trouble, says the Hand-Book of Poultry, of constantly 
watching turkeys while they are seeking their nests, there should be a yard 
inclosing an eighth of an acre for every fifteen birds, where nothing else is 




TURKEY HO0SE AND NEST. 



allowed to go. Eight feet long pickets, with a white birch or any other 
brushy bush woven in along the top, will make the most secure inclosure. 
As early as the first of April nests should be made in this yard. 

THE BEST ARRANGEMENT FOR NESTS 

are small houses, about three feet by three, gable-shaped, (as shown in en- 
graving,) and three feet high in the center. These should be scattered about 
the yard, and, if convenient, be partly hidden by an over-covering of brush 
or something more easily made available. If two or three turkeys incline to 
one nest, set another house at right angles with that which contains the one 
they covet, and place several eggs in this new nest, and the probability is, 
that this will end the trouble ; or let them all lay together till one begins to 
sit, and then shut her in, which will oblige the others to provide for them- 
selves elsewhere. 

NESTS FOR LAYING HENS. 

The engraving (on page 140,) gives an idea of a wicker-work nest, which 
is recommended by the Cottage Gardener as just the thing for breeders to 
use, as the hens take to them readily. All that is needed to make them is 
an auger, a saw, a bill-hook, a clasp knife, a stout piece of leather for hinges, 
some tacks, a few poles, two inches in diameter, cut fresh from the water 
willow, some strips, and a few seasoned pieces of boards. Rive the willow 
rods into laths two-eighths of an inch thick ; wattle them on the frame as in 



140 THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

the engraving. If water willow cannot be readily obtained, any other wood 
that is susceptible of weaving into baskets will answer the purpose. This 
device makes a good cool retreat for hens in hot weather. 

TIGHT WOODEN BOX NEST. 

It is only necessary the birds should be protected from wind and rain, in 
order to avoid rheumatism ; and this is most effectually done by employing 
for the nest a tight wooden box, like figure 2, open at the bottom, and also 





Fig. 1. Fig. 2. 

in front, with the exception of a strip three inches high to contain the straw. 
Let one of these boxes be placed in the back corner of the shed, touching 
the side, the front being turned to the back wall, and about nine inches from 
it ; and the hen will be in the strictest privacy, will be both perfectly shel- 
tered and kept cool, and will never mistake her own nest for the one which 
may be placed in the other corner. If a third must be made room for, let 
her nest be placed the same distance from the wall midway between the 
others, and like them, with the front of the nest to the back of the shed. 
There will then be still nearly a foot between each two nests for the birds to 
pass. 



CAPONIZING FOWLS. 



The art of caponizing fowls seems to be very little known or understood 
in this country ; we therefore condense from The Farmers' and Planters' 
Enclyclopedia of Riiral Affairs, the modus operandi as practiced by the best 
and most experienced English, French and Chinese experts, giving from the 
same source, also, engravings fully illustrating the subject, together with 
such information as we have been enabled to gather from other sources. 
Chickens intended for capons should be of the largest breeds ; Brahmas, 
Cochins, or even Dorkings are fowls well adapted for the purpose. 

FOWLS DESIRABLE FOE CAPONS. 

Any of the Asiatic fowls are most desirable as they make the best capons; 
Dorking fowls, however, which are deemed better for the table, answer the 
purpose very well, as their flesh is so much sweeter and more nutritious than 
that of almost any breed known. The alteration of a chicken into a capon 
will, in from ten to twelve months nearly double the size of the bird. Per- 
sons wishing to become expert in the operation of making capons would do 
well to imitate surgeons, who always try their hand upon dead subjects be- 
fore performing on the living. 

MANNER OF PROCEDURE. 

The modus operandi, however, is quite simple, and in France and Italy is 
frequently allotted to mere children. Chickens intended for capons may be 
operated upon at any age, though when between two and three months old 
is considered much the best time. Old fowls seldom survive the operation. 
Previous to cutting, the chickens must be kept entirely from food, and even 
water, for about thirty-six hours, as experiments have determined this time 
to insure the best chance of success by causing the bowels to be empty, and 
lessening the tendency to bleeding. The fowl may be secured either in the 
Chinese mode, — that is to say, lying on its left side with its wings folded 
back till they meet, and pressed under one foot of the operator, while the 
other foot is placed on the legs ; or it may be held by an assistant, or what 
adds greatly to the convenience of the operator, especially in relieving him 
from the necessity of stooping low, the fowl may be confined by straps, etc., 
to a table, as seen by reference to figures 1 and 2. 



142 THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

HOW TO PLACE THE FOWL. 

The fowl being thus secured with its left side downwards, Avings clasped 
behind its back, legs extended backwards, the upper one being drawn the 
furthest back (see figure 2,) the head and neck being left perfectly free, the 
feathers are next to be plucked from its right side near the hip joint, in a 
line between that and the shoulder joint; the space uncovered (a figure 2) 
may be a little over an inch square. Having first drawn the skin of the part 
backward, so that when left to itself after the operation, it will cover the 
wound in the flesh, make an incision with the bevel-edged knife (letter a,) 
between the last two ribs, commencing about an inch from the backbone, 
and extending obliquely downwards about an inch or inch and a half, just 
going deep enough to separate the ribs, and taking good care not to wound 
the intestines. A pair of broad blunt hooks, (letters c, c,) attached to a 
piece of elastic whalebone or ratan (b) about six inches long are then applied, 
one hook on each side of the cut, and these being stretched apart by the 
spring bow, keep the w T ound open wide enough to give room for the opera- 
tion. 

HOW THE OPERATION IS PERFORMED. 

Carefully cut open the skin covering the intestines, which last, if not 
sufficiently drawn up in consequence of the previous fastening, may be pushed 
forwards or towards the breastbone, by means of a flat instrument contrived 
for the purpose, or, what answers equally well, the handle of a teaspoon. 
When the testicles are exposed to view they will be found to be connected 
Avitli the back and sides by means of a thin skin which passes over them. 
This tender covering must be seized with the pincers (a, a,) and torn open 
with the assistance of the sharp edged hook, (A /) after this, with the left 
hand, introduce the curved spoon under the lower or left testicle (which is 
generally a little nearer the rump than the right one ;) then take the tube 
(a,) and with the right hand pass the loop (n) over the small hooked end 
of the spoon (/*,) running it down under the spoon and included testicle, so 
as to bring the loop to act upon the part which fastens the testicle to the 
back. Then by drawing the ends of the hair-loop backwards and forwards, 
and at the same time pushing the lower end of the tube towards the rump 
of the chicken, the cord, or fastening of the testicle, is sawn off. The same 
process is to be followed with the uppermost or right testicle, after which 
the separated testicles, together with any blood in the bottom of the wound 
are to be scooped out with the crooked spoon. 

WHEN PERFORMED PROPERLY. 

When performed properly, little or no blood of consequence is observed, 
neither does the bird seem to experience any pain, after the first incision, 
but will eat food freely if given to it. To enable the operator to produce 
the sawing movement, the hair or other ligature used, may be tied in a 
knot, so as to allow the index, or forefinger of the operator's right hand to 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 143 

pass through it. This finger being then turned or rolled repeatedly from 
side to side, communicates to the loop below the sawing motion which con- 
tributes to cut off the testicles. The reason for cutting off the under or 
lowermost testicle first, is to prevent the blood which may issue from cover- 
ing the remaining one, thereby rendering it difficult to be seen. After this 
operation which, if skillfully performed, occupies very few minutes, the hooks 
are to be taken out, the skin drawn over the wound, and this covered with 
the feathers plucked off at the commencement of the operation. The chicken 
is then released, and as soon as let go will take grain or other food eagerly, 
and in a day or two be restored to its xisual health. A person well skilled 
may operate on fifty chickens without killing more than one or two. 

DIFFERENT FORMATION" OF FOWLS. 

In some fowls the fore part of the thigh covers the last two ribs ; in 
which case care must be taken to draw the fleshy part of the thigh well 
back, to prevent its being cut, as this might lame the fowl, or even cause 
its death. For ligatures nothing answers so well as that usually employed 
by the Chinese, namely, the fiber of the cocoanut husk. This is rough, and 
makes a loop which saws off and separates the testicle very readily. The 
next best substance for this purpose is horse-hair. Experiments with fine 
wire, silk, silk gut, etc., show that these are all inferior to cocoanut fiber 
and horse-hair. 

FOWLS NOT PERFECTLY CAPONIZED. 

Sometimes a portion of the testicle adheres and is left behind ; in which 
case the fowls will not prove capons, as will soon be evident, and may be 
killed for use as soon as the head begins to grow large and get red, and 
they show a disposition to chase the hens. Then, again, the real capon 
will make itself known by the head remaining small, the comb and gills 
losing their bright redness and appearing withered ; the feathers of the 
neck and tail will also grow longer. 

AGE TO KEEP CAPONS. 

Capons should be kept to the age of fifteen or eighteen months, which 
will bring them in the spring and summer, when poultry is scarce and bears 
a high price. Still they should not be killed near molting time, as all poultry 
then is very inferior. The operation of caponizing fails principally in conse- 
quence of the bursting of the skin which incloses the soft matter of the testi- 
cles, some of which remains in the bird. 

DANGER OF BURSTING OF THE TESTICLES. 

Fowls of five or six months old are less liable to have the testicles burst 
in the operation than younger ones, but they are also more apt to bleed to 
death than, those of from two to four months old. As the large vessel that 
supplies the entrails with blood passes in the neighborhood of the testicles ; 
there is danger that a young beginner may pierce this with the pointed in- 



144 THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

strument in taking off the skin of the lower testicle, in which case the chicken 
would die instantly. There are one or two smaller vessels to be avoided, 
which is very easy, as they are not difficult to be seen. If properly managed 
no blood ever appears until a testicle is taken off; so that should any appear 
before that, the operator will know that he has done something wrong. If 
a chicken die during the operation by bleeding, it is of course as proper 
for use as if bled to death by having its throat cut. 

FOWLS SELDOM DIE AFTER THE OPERATION. 

Fowls very seldom die after the operation unless they have received some 
internal injury, or the flesh of the thigh has been cut through, from not being 
drawn back from off the last two ribs, where the incision is made ; all of 
which accidents may be liable to occur with young practitioners. 

TESTICLES WHEN FOUND LARGE. 

When the testicles are found very large, the silver tube may be too small 
for the operation ; in this case a larger one made of small bamboo or elder, 
about three-eighths of an inch in diameter, may be substituted, with a strong 
cocoanut string or ligature. But for chickens of small and medium sizes, the 
silver tube, with a horse-hair in it, will answer perfectly well. 

MARKING CAPONS BEFORE LETTING THEM RUN. 

When a chicken has been cut it is necessary before letting it run to put a 
permanent mark upon it ; otherwise it would be imjDOSsible to distinguish it 
at first from others not operated on. Cutting off the outside or inside toe 
of the left foot, will enable one to distinguish them at a distance. Another 
mode is to cut off the comb, then shave off the spurs close to the leg, and 
stick them upon the bleeding head, where they will grow and become orna- 
mental in the shape of a pair of horns. This last mode is perhaps the best, 
but it is not so simple and ready as the first. Whichever plan is adopted, 
the fowl should be marked before performing the operation. 

TREATMENT OF WINDY SWELLING IN CAPONS. 

It is very common, after the operation, and while the wound is healing, 
for the side to puff out with a windy swelling. This may be relieved by 
making a small incision or puncture in the skin, which will let the wind 
escape. Those fowls make the best and finest capons which are hatched 
early in the spring; as they can be cut before the hot weather comes, which 
is a great advantage. The operator should not be discouraged with the first 
difficulties ; for with practice they will disappear ; every year's experience 
will render one more expert, until the cutting of a dozen or more fowls be- 
fore breakfast will be a small matter. 

DISSATISFACTION WITH THE OPERATION. 

It may be well to give a warning against becoming dissatisfied with the 
instruments. A raw hand, when he meets with difficulties, is apt to think 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



145 



the tools are in fault, and sets about to improve them and invent others ; but 
it may be only himself that lacks skill, which practice alone can give. Those 
who have devoted much time and attention to the subject say that they have 
found the old Chinese instruments, illustrations of which are herewith given, 
preferable to all others. In addition to these instruments, a regular Chinese 
set contains a flat kind of spatula something like the upper part of a spoon 
handle. This is about four inches long and half an inch wide, and slightly 
curved at each end in opposite directions. It is for the purpose of pushing 
the intestines out of the way, an office very well performed by the handle 
'of a teaspoon. The engravings given below represent the instruments used 
in making capons, according to the Chinese method, reduced only about 
one-fourth their actual sizes. 

DESCRIPTION OP THE IMPLEMENTS TO BE USED. 

«, a knife, the edge of which resembles that of a chisel with a bevel or 
slanting edge, half an inch in the greatest width ; the other end or handle 
consists of two forcep blades terminating at a, a, in slender points, and form- 
ing spring forceps. The whole length from the cutting edge to the end oi 





DESCRIPTION OF IMPLEMENTS USED. 



the pliers is about six inches, c, c, two broad hooks of silver or other metal, 
each half an inch in width and one and a half in length, b, an elastic bow, 
six inches long, made of whalebone or ratan, about the thickness of a large 
quill, and split horizontally into two pieces. To the ends of this bow the 
broad hooks are attached by strong cords about half an inch long. At the 
end d, the cord embraces only the lower half of the split bow, whilst both 
pieces are included in the string, at the end e. /, is a small ring which en- 



146 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



circles both portions of the bow. When the hooks are first put in and only 
half the strength of the bow is required to act upon them, this ring is slipped 
to the end e. But if the whole strength of the bow is needed to force the 
hooks apart and stretch the wound open, the ring is passed towards the 
end d. Thus, by means of the split bow and sliding ring, the strain upon 
the hooks can be increased or slackened at pleasure, i, a tube of silver or 
other metal three or four inches long, made square at the upper, and flattened 
at the lower end k, to the width of three-tenths of an inch ; this tube is for 
the purpose of passing the fiber or hair ligature m, forming the loop n. ff> a 
narrow curved spoon, the slender handle of which tapers off, and has a steel 
point fitted into it, furnished at the extremity with a very small hook, h ; 
the inner edge of this hook is sometimes sharpened. 

THE OPERATING TABLE. 

TJie operating table is represented in the following cut, figure 1. This 
table may be about two and a half feet long by one and a half feet wide, and 
two and a half feet high. At two of its corners it can have a raised molding 
about half an inch high, extending along the sides six or nine inches, for the 




purpose of placing the instruments at one corner and at the other some of 
the feathers under a stone, to keep them from being blown away. On one 
side there is a slit c, passing through the table, about one and three-quarters 
of an inch long by one-half an inch wide, running diagonally ; being about 
three inches from the end and six and a half from the side. Through this 
slit the padded band or soft list, d, d, for confining the wings, passes below 
to be attached to the lever e. This lever has a four or five pound weight 
hung to it, and works on a screw or pin, by which it is attached to the leg. 
When not in use the lever rests on a pin or ledge in the other leg. On beim 
let down, the attached band clasps the wings of the chicken lying on the 
table, with greater or less force as the weight is drawn to or from the end 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 147 

of the lever. The next thing to be described is the lever, A, upon the table, 
the object of which is to hold down the legs as these are extended backwards. 
This lever is padded beneath, and is furnished with a hinge at i, which ad- 
mits of being raised at the end k, it projects beyond the edge of the table, 
and has also a five pound weight suspended by the string I, which increases 
or diminishes the pressure by being moved to or from the table. Through 
one portion of the hinge an iron screw, m, passes beneath the table where 
the end is secured by a nut. This screw or pin allows the lever to move 
sidewise, whilst the hinge admits of its being raised or let down. A range 
of holes, about one-third of an inch wide, is made through the table, to re- 
ceive the pin of the lever, as this has to be placed nearer to or farther from 
the slit c, according to the size of the chicken. The first hole is about eleven 
inches from the nearest end ; the second, fourteen inches ; the third, seven- 
teen inches. The last is adapted to very large cocks or even turkeys. 

POSITION OP THE FOWL ON THE TABLE. 

In figure 2, the position of the fowl when secured, lying upon its left side 
upon the table, is represented, d being the wing-band, h the lever placed 
over the legs, and a the place where the incision is made. The table is a 
refinement in the art of caponing which we believe is altogether new, not- 
withstanding the thousands of years which have elapsed since the operation 
has been habitually practiced. The difficulty of making a subject, apparently 
simple, well understood by persons to whom it is entirely new, is, we think, 
a sufficient apology for the length of 'the details given. 

USEFULNESS OF CAPONS. 

In France and other counti'ies, besides furnishing a luxurious food, capons 
are made useful in taking care of broods of young chickens, ducklings, 
turkeys, and pheasants, which they are said to do much better than hens, 
owing to their larger size and thicker coats of feathers. The moment the 
chickens are hatched they are taken from the hens and given to a capon, 
who rears them with all the care of a parent, often having a small bel< 
attached to his neck, the tinkling of which serves the purpose of keeping thf, 
brood about him, similar to the clucking and maternal sounds of the mother. 
Should he show a disposition to treat the young chickens roughly at first, he- 
may be confined alone for a day or two in a dark place, after which if they 
be put with him he will be pleased with their company and continue to take 
care of them. The hen is cooped, and well fed until she regains the flesh 
and strength lost whilst sitting, and then turned out to lay again. In this 
way the poulterer is enabled to raise a large number of chickens from a few 
hens. The capon generally brings double or treble the price of common 
poultry. 

ANOTHER MODE OF PLACING THE FOWL. 

Figure 3 shows a different mode of preparing the fowls for caponizing, 
which only requires a very little trouble to make. In the first place you con- 



148 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



fine the cockerel between the two weights, on a table or board, as you choose, 
(see engraving,) laying him with the left side downwards, and placing his 
wings locked across the back, which assists in holding him down ; the legs 
extended backward, with the upper one drawn furthest out. Leave the head 

and neck free. Pluck the feathers from 
the right side, near the hip-joint, from an 
inch to an inch and a half in diameter, 
and on a line with the shoulder. Then 
proceed with the business as directed 
elsewhere. 

TO CAPONIZE YOUNG PULLETS. 

Young pullets may also be caponized, 
so as to deprive them of their reproduo 
FlQ - 3 - tive powers. It has the same effect upon 

them that it does upon the cockerels — rendering them more easy to fatten. 
A pullet that has no inclination to lay regularly can be got rid of in this way 
with profit to the breeder. The usual method of making poulardes, as capon- 
ized hens are termed in France, is to extirpate the egg-cluster, or ovaries, in 
a similar manner to extracting the testicles from young cocks. Mr. Yarrell 
says, however, " that it is quite sufficient merely to cut across the egg-tube 
or oviduct, with a sharp knife." Birds after once being caponized are never 
subject to the natural process of molting. 




ANATOMY OF THE EGG. 



THE OVARIUM. 

In a laying hen, M. Viele, an eminent anatomist of France, says, may 
be found, on opening the body, what is termed the ovarium — a cluster of 
rudimental eggs, of different sizes, from very minute points up to shapes of 
easily-distinguished forms. These rudimental eggs have as yet no shell or 
white, these being exhibited in a different stage of development ; but consist 
wholly of yolk, on the surface of which the germ of the future chicken lies. 
The yolk and the germ are enveloped by a very thin membrane. When 

THE RUDIMENTAL EGG, 

still attached to the ovarium, becomes longer and larger, and arrives at a 
certain size, either its own weight, or some other efficient cause, detaches 
it from the cluster, and makes it fall into a sort of funnel, leading to a pipe, 
which is called the oviduct. Here 

THE YOLK OF THE RUDIMENTAL EGG, 

hitherto imperfectly formed, puts on its mature appearance of a thick 
yellow fluid ; while the rudimental chick or embryo, lying on the surface 
opposite to that by which it had been attached to the ovarium, is white, and 
somewhat like paste. The white, or 

ALBUMEN OP THE EGG, 

now becomes diffused around the yolk, being secreted from the blood vessels 
of the egg-pipe, or oviduct, in the form of a thin, glassy fluid ; this is pre- 
vented from mixing with the yolk and the embryo chicken by the thin 
membrane which surrounded them before they were detached from the 
egg-cluster, while it is strengthened by a second and stronger membrane, 
formed around the first, immediately after falling into the oviduct. This 
second membrane, enveloping the yolk of the germ of the chicken, is thickest 
at the two ends, having what is termed bulgings by some, and chalazes by 
anatomists ; these bulgings of the second membrane pass quite through the 
white at the ends$ and being thus, as it were, embedded in the white, they 
keep the inclosed yolk and germ somewhat in a fixed position, preventing 



150 the people's practical poultry book. 

them from rolling about within the egg when it is moved. The white of 
the egg being thus formed, a third membrane, or, rather, a double mem- 
brane, much stronger than either of the first two$ is formed around it, be- 
coming attached to the chalazes of the second membrane, and tending still 
more to keep all the parts in their relative positions. 

PROGRESS OF THE FORMATIONS. 

During the progress of these several formations, the egg gradually 
advances about half way along the oviduct. It is still, however, destitute of 
the shell, which begins to be formed by a process simliar to the formation 
of the shell of a snail, as soon as the outer layer of the third membrane has 
been completed. When the shell is fully formed, the egg continues to 
advance along the oviduct, till the hen goes to her nest and lays it. 
From ill-health, or accidents, eggs are sometimes excluded from the oviducts 
before the shell has begun to be formed, and in this state they are called 
wind eggs. 

THE EGG HAS SIX DIFFERENT ENVELOPES. 

Reckoning, then, from the shell inward, there are six different en- 
velopes, of which one only could be detected before the descent of the egg 
into the oviduct, — the shell ; the external layer of the membrane lining 
the shell ; the internal layer of same lining ; the white, composed of a 
thinner liquid on the outside, and a thicker and more yellowish liquid on 
the inside ; the bulgings, or chalaziferous membrane ; and the proper mem- 
brane. One important part of the egg is 

THE AIR-BAG, 

placed at the larger end, between the shell and its lining membrane. This 
is about the size of the eye of a small bird in new-laid eggs, but is in- 
creased as much as ten or twelve times in the process of hatching. The 
air-bag is of such great importance to the development of the chicken — 
probably by supplying it with a limited atmosphere of oxygen — that, if the 
blunt end of an egg be pierced with the point of the smallest needle, the 
egg cannot be hatched. 

DOUBLE-YOLKED EGGS. 

Instead of one rudimental egg falling from the ovarium, two may be 
detected, and will, of course, be inclosed in the same shell, when the egg 
will be double-yolked. The eggs of a goose have, in some instances, been 
known to contain even three yolks. If the double-yolked eggs be hatched, 
they will rarely produce two separate chickens, but, more commonly, 
monstrosities — chickens with two heads, four legs, and the like. 

THE SHELL OF THE EGG. 

The shell of the egg, chemically speaking, consists chiefly of carbonate 
of lime, similar to chalk, with a small quantity of phosphate of lime and 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 151 

animal mucus. When burned, the animal matter and the carbonic acid 
gas of the carbonate of lime are separated ; the first being reduced to ashes, 
or animal charcoal, while the second is dissipated, leaving the decarbonized 
lime mixed with a little phosphate of lime. 

THE WHITE OP THE EGG. 

The white of the egg is without taste or smell, of a viscid, glairy con- 
sistence, readily dissolving in water, coagulable by acids, by spirits of wine, 
and by a temperature of one hundred and sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit. If 
it has once been coagulated, it is no longer soluble in either cold or hot 
water, and acquires a slight insipid taste. It is composed of eighty parts of 
water, fifteen and a half parts albumen, and four and a half parts mucus ; 
besides giving traces of soda, benzoic acid, and sulphureted hydrogen gas. 
The latter, on an egg being eaten from a silver spoon, stains the spoon a 
blackish purple, by combining with the silver, and forming sulphuret of 
silver. The white of the egg is a very feeble conductor of heat, retarding 
its escape, and preventing its entrance to the yolk; a providential con- 
trivance not merely to prevent speedy fermentation and corruption, but to 
arrest the fatal chills, which might occur in hatching, when the mother 
hen leaves her eggs, from time to time, in search of food. Eels and other 
fish which can live long out of water, secrete a similar viscid substance on 
the surface of their bodies, furnished to them, doubtless, for the same 
purpose. 

THE YOLK OP THE EGG. 

The yolk has an insipid, bland, oily taste ; and, when agitated with water, 
forms a milky emulsion. If it is long boiled it becomes a granular, friable 
solid, yielding, upon expression, a yellow, insipid, fixed oil. It consists, 
chemically, of water, oil, albumen and gelatine. In proportion to the 
quantity of albumen, the egg boils hard. 

THE WEIGHT OP EGGS. 

The weight of the eggs of. the domestic fowl varies materially; in 
some breeds averaging thirty-three ounces per dozen, while in others, but 
fourteen and a-half ounces. A fair average weight for a dozen is twenty-two 
and a-half ounces. Yellow, mahogany and salmon-colored eggs are generally 
richer than white ones, containing, as they do, a large quantity of yolk. 
These are generally preferred for culinary purposes ; while the latter, con- 
taining an excess of albumen, are preferred for boiling, etc., for the table. 

FACTS ABOUT INCUBATIONS 

"We are informed by M. Tegetmeier that, in breaking a number of eggs 
into a basin, a small circular speck may be observed upon each yolk. This 
speck is the rudiment of the young chick, and the construction of the egg is 
such that, on whatever side it is turned, the rudimentary germ is always 



152 THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

uppermost, so as to receive the heat from, the sitting hen. The mechanism 
by which this is managed is very simple : — The lower side of the yolk is 
weighed or ballasted by two heavy twisted masses of very firm albumen, 
which keep the germ constantly uppermost. Contrary to general belief, 
these ballasting weights are found in all eggs, whether laid by pullets or old 
hens. If an egg has been set upon for even a few hours, the size of the 
germ is increased, and if- left in the nest of a sitting hen for twenty-four 
hours, small blood vessels may be seen forming a beautiful zone around it. 
The yolk, like the white, is composed of concentric layers, which may be 
seen when it is boiled hard, and from the germ a tube runs to a central 
hollow or cavity, often noticeable when an egg boiled hard for salad is cut 
across. 

WHEN A FECUNDATED EGG IS PLACED UNDER A HEN, 

or deposited in an incubator, and subjected to a temperature somewhat 
above one hundred degrees, the germ undergoes a remarkable series of 
alterations, being gradually developed into the perfect chick. During the 
period of incubation, various changes occur. The air-vesicle at the end 
gradually becomes larger in proportion as the water of the albumen 
evaporates, through the pores of the shell. During its development, the 
chicken derives its nourishment chiefly from the yolk ; and shortly before 
birth the remainder of the yolk is drawn into the abdomen, and passing into 
the digestive canal, constitutes the first food of the newly hatched animal. 
During incubation, the blood of the chick is aerated by passing through a 
series of vessels in a temporally respiratory membrane which lines the porous 
shell ; this makes its appearance on the third day, and gives rise to that 
opacity of the fertile egg which may always be observed. It is not until the 
nineteenth day of incubation that the beak of the chick ruptures the enlarged 
air vesicle, and it then only commences to breathe by means of its lungs. 
This is accompanied by a peculiar sound known as " tapping," which is 
merely respiratory, and is not caused by contact of any kind between the 
beak of the chick and the interior of the shell. 



INCUBATORS. 



THE HATCHING AND REARING OP CHICKENS BY ARTIFICIAL MEANS 

has not received that attention which its importance demands. The business 
of raising poultry in this country has been very limited and its operations 
very primitive. It is only for a few years past that farmers and fanciers have 
taken hold of it with any degree of earnestness ; and for the very short 
time they have given it their attention their success has been wonderful, 
and plainly shows what can be done by a little attention and perseverance. 
Poultry and eggs should be one of the staple articles of subsistence for the peo- 
ple, where now only a few, comparatively, share in these luxuries, on account 
of the high prices these necessities of life command. Chickens should never 
sell for over twelve cents per pound, and eggs twelve cents per dozen ; and 
the present prices could be reduced to the above standards by means of the 
artificial methods of hatching and raising them. If each individual who 
takes an interest in 

RAISING POULTRY EITHER POR PLEASURE OR PROPIT 

had the means of hatching out only one hundred and fifty chickens every 
three weeks it would quintuple the stock of the country. And what a saving 
of time and labor ; and especially when such an instrument could be man- 
aged by the younger folks. An incubator that would hold two hundred eggs 
would produce in six sittings, on an average, nine hundred chickens, even 
allowing for the loss of fifty eggs by various means at each sitting and 
would perform the work of sixteen hens every three weeks ; and the 
hens could be brought back to the business of laying again in a very 
short time. Of course we do not mean to keep the hens from having one 
good sitting a year, which is so necessary for their rest, comfort and health. 
We have not in this estimate taken into account the length of time it takes 
the hen to raise her brood so that they may look out for themselves. This 
will be treated of more fully under the title of " Artificial Mothers." 

THE DIFFERENT INCUBATORS. 

From the number of successful experiments that have been made by dif- 
ferent inventors and scientific men, we are more fully convinced of the 
practicability of the plan, and that it wants only encouragement from the 
people to make it a success. 



154 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



THE EGYPTIAN MODE OP HATCHING EGGS. 

The Egyptians hatched eggs in ovens on an immense scale with great suc- 
cess. Thousands of thousands of chickens were hatched in a season in this 
way. Reaumur succeeded in 

HATCHING CHICKENS IN WOODEN CASKS 

by surrounding them with fresh manure in a state of fermentation, and this 
method, though not the most pleasant, is still employed in France with good 
results. 

Cantelo was successful in supplying the heat from above in imitation of 
the hen. The elaborate contrivance of Minasi was a very ingenious and 
successful effort. It could hold two hundred eggs. The chickens were all 
strong, healthy and vigorous, but the great drawback to these two methods 
of Cantelo and Minasi was the expensiveness. 

geyelin's incubator 

is one which we do not think very desirable at the present day ; still we give, 
in this connection, a description of it, with illustrations, more for the purpose 





of showing the marked improvement made in these machines than for any 
other reason. Figure 1 represents a perspective elevation of an artificial pen 
for hatching ; figure 2, a transverse section of the same. The hatching appa- 
ratus consists of separate parts : first, a glass-covered box ; second, a water 
tank ; third, a floating vessel ; fourth, a gas or oil lamp. 

The glass-covered box is made of japanned tin ; it has a glass door through 
which the light can be seen ; the bottom of this box is perforated in the cen- 
ter for the admission of air to the lamp, and the other part is carpeted to 
receive the chickens as they leave their shells. About twelve inches from 
the bottom are four brackets, to receive the water tank ; the lid has a per- 
forated border for the escape of the vitiated air and steam from the water. 
The sides are provided with handles for carrying the box from one place to 
another, and it stands on four knobs to allow a free passage of air under- 



THE PEOPLES PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 155 

neath. The water tank is made of tin, and a little smaller than the box, so 
as to allow half an inch free passage of air all round. The floating vessel is 
made of tin, and is a trifle smaller than the water tank, so as to allow of its 
floating in it. The center of this vessel has an oval opening, in which a 
registering thermometer is kept to show at all times the temperature of the 
water. The bottom of this vessel is covered about one inch deep with silver 
sand, on which the eggs are placed. By means of the central opening, and 
that between the tank, the temperature is kept in a constantly moist state. 
The lamp can be for oil or gas, but gas is certainly preferable. The manage- 
ment of the apparatus is so simple that it can be attended to by a child, and 
only a very few directions will be necessary : — 1. Fill the tank with hot water 
till the floating vessel reaches the top level, then see that the water has a 
temperature of about one hundred and twelve degrees, after which light the 
lamp, and should the heat of the water increase, reduce the flame ; but if the 
temperature rises or decreases but slowly, it can be regulated by admitting 
more or less air through the door of the box. 2. The principal point, how- 
ever, is, that the temperature on the sand should not vary much from one 
hundred and five degrees, and it will be found that with water-heat of one 
hundred and twelve degrees, the sand will be one hundred and five, and on 
the eggs ninety-eight degrees. For beginners, however, it is always best to 
put the apparatus in action a day or two before placing eggs in it. 3. Turn 
the eggs once or twice a day, and keep the water replenished as it evap- 
orates. 

The only incubators that are considered at all practicable are those of M. 
Carbontstier, Mr. Brindley and Mr. F. Schroder. 

m. carbonnier's incubator 
was quite a simply constructed machine. The heating apparatus consisted of 
a tin or copper cistern or boiler of any desired size made with a flat bottom 
and heated by a lamp, for which a chamber was provided in one end. The 
lamp was so constructed as to burn for a certain length of time without at- 
tention, and it was essential that the lamp chamber should be in the end of 
the cistern that there might be a regular circulation of the water. The cistern 
was kept nearly filled ; and the constant immersion of the thermometer was 
necessary to show the temperature. The eggs were placed in a drawer under 
the cistern on a little hay. They were not exposed to the direct heat of the 
cistern, but were covered with a piece of canvas, on which is spread a layer 
of sawdust half an inch thick. The sawdust became warmed by the heat of 
the cistern and resting gently upon the eggs warms them in a more natural 
way than any preceeding incubator we know of. In the egg drawer should be 
a second thermometer to indicate the heat the eggs were subjected to. The 
temperature of the sawdust may be kept at a standard of one hundred and 
two or one hundred and three degrees Fahrenheit, and regular attention was 
necessary to insure this. The eggs were withdrawn every day and exposed 
to the cold air for about twenty minutes, and turned over as often, and the 



156 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



sawdust laid again upon them, and sprinkled with water heated to one hun- 
dred and five degrees, so as to make it slightly moist. 

THE ARRANGEMENT OF ME! BRINDLEY's INCUBATOR 

is shown by figure 3. It is a copper boiler heated by a lamp or gas jet, B, 
furnished with a reservoir, also marked B, carefully constructed to burn with 
steadiness. From this boiler the hot water flows constantly through a sys- 




tem of metal pipes, arranged in a horizontal place between two plates of 
glass, which thus forms a hot-air chamber heated by the pipes. Under the 
lower glass plates slides the drawer C, lined with felt which contains the 
eggs. At each side of the lamps at A are 

TEMPORARY RECEPTACLES, OR ARTIFICIAL MOTHERS, 

to receive the chickens for the first day, after which they may be removed 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



157 



and provided for separately. The hot air chamber is provided with a " safety 
valve," acted on by the expansion of mercury, which opens at a given tem- 
perature. This valve seems to have been employed first by M. Vallee of the 
Jardin des Plantes, Paris. Mr. Brindley's valve seems to have been su- 
perior to all those shown before him, and to answer all reasonable purposes. 
Mr. Wright thinks it impossible to make any valve the sole regulator, and 
expect it to keep the heat uniform. He is under the impression that when 
the heat becomes two or three degrees too high all that is expected is, that 
the valve will open and admit cold air to reduce the temperature ; but if the 
air is really hot the valve, though open, cannot entirely keep the heat down, 
nor can it guard against a lower temperature than is proper. We shall show 
hereafter how the heat is regulated by the Graves' plan, so as to obviate 
these difficulties. 

Bristdlet's machine differs radically in principle from the preceding one, 
as also from Mr. F. H. Schroder's, in that the valve is not employed directly 
to warm the eggs but simply to impart heat to a chamber of hot air through 
which the heat is communicated. In other respects the management is simi- 
lar. The eggs require to be withdrawn and cooled once a day ; should be 
carefully turned and sprinkled with warm water, which should also be allowed 
to moisten the felt lining of the tray in which they are contained. 

THE INCUBATOR OF MR. F. H. SCHRODER 

is shown in figure 4. He has adopted an altogether distinct and separate 
boiler, which is not shown ; but which is connected with the hot water tank 




C, of the incubator by two pipes ; B being the inlet pipe, and D the outlet. 
This tank is provided with an open table, I, in which a thermometer can be 
placed to show the temperature, and with a ventilating tube H, which is open 
at top and bottom. Under the tank slide the egg drawers E, which in area 
resembles the quadrant of a circle — this is of a circular form. 



[58 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



THE INCUBATOR BEING OF A CIRCULAR FORM, 

the bottom of these drawers are of perforated zinc, and partly filled with 
sand, both to preserve the heat and to form a convenient and warm recep- 
tacle for the newly-hatched chickens. Curtains are provided to surround the 
sides of the incubator, and thus guard, in some measure, against change of 
temperature in the apartment. In using this incubator the egg-drawers E 
are partly filled with chaff or other similar material, on which the eggs are 
deposited. The water from the cold water cistern F, underneath them, slowly 
evaporates with the heat above, and preserves a gentle moisture around the 
eggs during the process of incubation, percolating as it does through the 
chaff and perforated bottom of the egg-drawer ; ventilation takes place 
through the .middle shape or pipe H. Sprinkling the eggs is not necessary in 
Mr. Schroder's plan ; all that you need to do is to replenish the cold water 
tank F when exhausted. The eggs, however, as in all incubators, should be 
withdrawn, cooled half an hour and turned every day. 

THE INCUBATOR OF COL. STUART WORTLEY, 

represented in figure 5, is described by Mr. Wright in his work as superior 
to all the rest ; but, at the same time, admits that it has not yet been gen- 
erally tested. D, is a saddle-backed or other convenient boiler, furnished 




r 

L..^-----JL..;^......y/ 



IL l _ W 

Fig. 5 — Col. Stuart Wortlet's Incubator. 

with a steam dome, by which the steam is collected and allowed to escape. 
Connected with the boiler is a simple cistern C, by which the hight of the 
water is always kept uniform, a glass gauge, A, showing the hight at a glance. 
The water in the boiler is always kept boiling, and circulates therefore at a 
uniform temperature through the pipes, which heats the egg chamber. 
These pipes pass through padded holes, and hence by sliding them in more, 
there is greater heat imparted for cold weather, or by withdrawing them a 
little the temperature will fall. 

THE GREAT IMPROVEMENT OF COL. WORTLEY's INCUBATOR 

is the control he has over the variations of temperature. He seems to take 



THE PEOPLES PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



159 



advantage of the natural law, which, without trouble, gives him always a 
temperature of one hundred and twelve degrees, and then provides for 
changes by giving more or less of heating surface. 

THE AMERICAN INCUBATOR. 

This incubator, represented by the cuts ; figure 4, representing the out- 
ward appearance of the machine, and figure 5 the inside arrangements, 
was awarded the first premium at the Pennsylvania State Poultry Ex- 
hibition, held in the city of Philadelphia. 

C, figure 5, is the nursery for young chickens for the first week after hatch- 
ing, D being a ventilator, of which there is a corresponding one in the rear. 
B, B, B, B, is the boiler, by Which the heat is generated by means of a lamp 
L. N", N, N", N, are the nests or drawers for the eggs. The two lower 




THE AMERICAN INCUBATOR. 



ones being directly under the boiler, the heat is applied above the eggs, the 
same as in natural incubation. To apply the heat in the same manner to the 
eggs in the upper drawers, the inclined shelves, R, R, are used, (the two 
drawers being tight-bottomed also.) The heat is thus forced to ascend as 
shown by the arrows, and passes over the eggs, escaping by the ventilators 
at H, H, into the nursery, C, where it is again utilized for the young chicks. 
V, V, are tubes going through the boiler, serving for stays to keep the 
boiler from bulging or collapsing, and also answering for ventilating the 
lower tier of drawers. The boiler is so constructed as to keep the water in 
constant circulation, thus securing, as is claimed, a uniform heat in all 
portions of the boiler, with a smaller consumption of fuel than by any other 
method. 

The great trouble in hatching machines heretofore presented to the 
public, has been the impossibility of keeping the drawers below the boiler at 



160 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



the same temperature as those above. It is claimed that in this machine 
that difficulty is entirely overcome ; and that by the arrangement of the 
ventilators heat is more perfectly under control than has been before at- 
tained. This — an even temperature — is the most important point to be 
secured ; with it success is almost certain ; without it, almost impossible. 
The proper heat is one hundred and three degrees Fahrenheit ; the minimum 
being one hundred degrees, and the maximum one hundred and five degrees. 
It is not always fatal to let the heat go below one hundred degrees, if not 
allowed to remain so any great length of time ; but a heat of one hundred 
and seven or one hundred and eight degrees is almost certain death to all 
unhatched chickens. The period of incubation is not shortened, as many 
suppose ; or, at most, only one day — twenty days being the average time ; 
and we frequently see hens bring off their broods in that time, if close 
sitters. The chicks come out remarkably strong and healthy, and are 
always free from vermin ; and after the first few days require no more care 
than if hatched under a hen. 

THE GRAVES' INCUBATOR. 

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an incubator case, showing 
the ventilating and heat-regulating devices. Figure 2 is a transverse, 
vertical section of figure 1 . Figures 3 and 4 are views in detail of the heat- 




Fig. 1 — Perspective View of Graves' Incubator. 
regulating devices ; and figure 5 (shown elsewhere,) is a view of an artificial 
mother, or protector. The object of this invention is to maintain a definite 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



161 



degree of temperature in incubators heated by water, and it consists, mainly, 
of two horizontal glass tubes, closed at one end, containing alcohol, and 
located under the hot water tank, each tube communicating with a vertical 
cylinder filled with mercury, one at each end of the incubator ; in which 
cylinders are cork pistons or floats, having rods attached to pivoted levers, 
which are so connected with the regulators on the heating lamps and ven- 
tilating valves, communicating with the incubating chamber, that the rising 
of said floats or pistons beyond a certain point by the expansion of the 
alcohol will act to check the flames of the lamps and open the ventilating 
valves, thus decreasing the temperature of the air and water, while the de- 
pression of said floats, in consequence of the contraction of the alcohol, will 
produce an opposite effect and highten the temperature, the parts being so 
arranged as not to be affected by the medium temperature, at which the 
incubator is to be kept, but only by higher or lower degrees. 

EXPLANATION" OP THE ILLUSTRATION. 

In the drawing A represents the incubator, which is divided into several 
compartments, as shown in figure 2, viz. : — The cold water tank, B j in- 
cubating space, C ; hot water tank, D ; protecting or heat-retaining space, 
E ; and di'ying loft, F. The ends of the incubator are provided with lamps, 
G, which heat the water in reservoirs, H. These latter communicate, 
through tubes, I, I, with the hot water tank, P. J, is a reservoir, which 




Fig. 2.— Transverse Section of Graves' Incubator. 
supplies oil to the lamps. K, K, represent glass tubes under tank, D, and in 
contact with the bottom thereof. Said tubes are filled with alcohol, or other 
expansible fluid, and communicate at their outer ends through the bent 
tubes, L, with the cylinders, M, which contain mercury. N", represents a 
piston rod, attached to a cork piston, or float, N, in the cylinder, M. The 

11 



162 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



upper end of rod, N, is attached to an arm or lever, O, which is pivoted at 
one end and swings freely at the other. P, represents a valve, which com- 
municates with the incubating space, C, and is connected by wires, R, with 
the free end of lever, O ; said wires are not rigidly connected with valve, P, 
but have a sliding attachment. S, represents the lamp-burner, which is 
provided with the tube, S, which is beveled off at one side, as shown. T, is 
a guard or regulator, which is journaled on' shaft, t, beside the tube, S, and 
when not in operation inclines from the same. The shaft, t, is bent on the 
outside of the burner into an elbow or crank, IT, which is connected by the 
spiral spring, V, to the lever, O. The operation of this invention is as 
follows : — The standard temperature for hatching eggs is about one hundred 
and two degrees Fahrenheit, at which point this device is arranged to remain 
inoperative ; but, when the water in tank, D, becomes heated above this 
point, the expansion of the alcohol in tubes, K, causes the cork float or 
piston, N", to elevate the rod, N, and lever, O, which latter being connected 
to valve, P, by wire, R, and to regulator, I, by spring, V, opens valve, P, 
and causes regulator, T, to close over the beveled side of tube, S, thereby 
lowering the flame in proportion to the nearness it approaches the tube. 





Figure 3. Figure 4. 

When the valve, P, is opened, warm air rushes up through tube, W, and out 
through said valve, thus cooling the snace, C ; while the flame of the lamps, 
being diminished, the temperature of the water in tank, D, will fall until the 
medium of one hundred and two degrees is reached, when the alcohol in 
tubes, K, will contract far enough to lower the lever, O, valve, P, and 
regulator, I, to their former positions. X is a tube for drawing off the 
water from the cold water tank, B ; Q is a slide, when the heat does not pass 
off as rapidly as necessary through the valve P, to cool the incubator space 
C, open the draw Q, and the cold air rushes in from below drawing out 
the hot air above. It should always be borne in mind, however, that the 
opposite end of the machine has a similar arrangement to that shown in 
figure 1, with which one of the tubes, K, connects — the whole operating in 
connection. The wires, R, are not rigidly attached to valve P, as above 
mentioned, but slide through a staple or orifice in the same, to the end that 



THE PEOPLE'S PKACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 163 

the lever, 0, may have free play when the valve is closed or opened to its 
utmost extent. A similar result is obtained by the use of the spring, V, 
which permits the lever to rise after the regulator has closed over the tube 
to its utmost extent. 

THE REGULATOR AND TUBE 

are so arranged, however, that the flame cannot be entirely extinguished hy 
the operation described, while the flame is graduated from a full blaze to a 
very faint one. 

THE GREAT DIFFICULTY IK ARTIFICIAL HATCHING. 

It is well known that the great difficulty in artificial hatching is that of 
maintaining a regular temperature, particularly in so variable a climate as in 
the Northern States. The difference of temperature between day and night 
has to be carefully provided for, and constant reference must be had to the 
thermometers. This difficulty has heretofore been a great obstacle in the 
way of the artificial hatching of chickens. By this invention, is obtained a 
constant and even temperature at all times, provided, of course, that the 
lamps are capable of producing sufficient heat for all exigencies. 

THE PERIOD OF INCUBATION BY THESE MACHINES. 

M. Vallee, an inventor of one of these machines, in giving the result of 
his experience touching the period of incubation necessary for the various 
species of eggs, states what is curious and worthy of record. For chickens it 
takes twenty-orte days; partridges, twenty-four; pheasants, twenty-flve; 
Guinea hens, twenty-five; common ducks, twenty-eight; pea fowls, twenty- 
eight; Barbary ducks, thirty; geese, thirty; turkeys, twenty-eight. The 
degrees of heat required to effect the above result are from one hundred and 
four to one hundred and ten degrees Fahrenheit. 

ARTIFICIAL HATCHING OF DUCKS IN CHINA. 

Tn closing our remarks on the use of incubators and artificial mothers, we 
have deemed it not improper to give, from Commodore Perry's report of his 
voyage to Japan, the mode used by the Chinese in hatching ducks' eggs by 
artificial means. After visiting the hatching chambers he carefully details 
the plan of the Chinese, as follows : — " There was 

NO ARTIFICIAL HEAT IN ACTUAL USE 

while I was there. The temperature of the external atmosphere was at 
about ninety degrees Fahrenheit, and there was a small chamber with a 
number of furnaces and charcoal, ready to be lighted and put into requisition 
at very short notice. The front room had large shelves on the two sides, 
about four feet deep from the wall, extending the whole length, the lower 
about a yard from the ground, and two others about eighteen inches apart. 
These shelves were appropriated to eggs. which were within two or three 
days of their term. The shelves were first covered with two or three thick- 
nesses of heavy, spongy paper, almost as thick as a blanket, which appeared 



164 the people's practical poultry book. 

to have been manufactured for the special purpose, in sheets four or five feet 
square. Next came a layer of eggs, two deep, all over the shelves, and two 
of the layers of the blanket paper mentioned. Parts of these shelves were 
occupied. They felt very warm to the hand. Their warmth was certainly 
much above that of the atmosphere, the blanket paper protecting them from 
its chilling influence as well as sudden changes. On some parts of the 
shelves the eggs were hatching, and the men were engaged, where they were 
nearly all hatched, in separating them. They tossed the little ones, as well 
as the eggs which showed signs of animation, very roughly and carelessly 
into baskets at considerable distance, greatly endangering the strangers' lives 
from concussion, fracture of limbs, &c, in our estimation, but in John's opin- 
ion it merely broke the shells, and thus enabled them the better to extricate 
themselves. The ducklings, after remaining a few hours to dry, and extri- 
cate themselves from the shells, were placed on the floor in little movable 
basket-work inclosures of bamboo, and supplied with a kind of grass chopped 
up for food, which they ate with an appetite which showed that they fully 
appreciated it. This grass was placed in little baskets with broad bottoms, 
so that they could not be overset, and the vertical splints continued upward, 
and were tied together at the top, so as to afford slats in the manner of a 
horse's manger. They could stick in their heads in the scramble for their 
first breakfast, but could not trample the food under their feet. I presume 
the young are transferred almost immediately to the boats, as I did not see 
any which appeared more than a week old. 

" At the back part of their room is a mud wall partition, with a door in 
the center, and two other walls running back at right angles to it, dividing 
the back end of the building into three small apartments — one for the fur- 
naces of charcoal, &c, the middle one serves as entrance, and the third is the 
apartment appropriated to the most delicate part of the process. This has a 
board floor, raised about four feet from the ground, beneath which are placed 
the furnaces, if necessary. The apartment itself was very dark and smother- 
ing ; not much gas or smoke, but high temperature. This apartment con- 
tained about ten barrels, lined with the flannel paper, stratum super stratum, 
about three or four inches thick. In these barrels the process begins, and 
continues till within two or three days of its termination, when they go to the 
shelves in the front room. The barrels are almost filled with eggs, a sheet of 
paper being interposed between each layer of about six inches, and the whole 
covered with three or four sheets of the flannel paper, and a thick light lid, 
composed in part of the same material. The whole arrangement seems to be 
a most perfect protection from sudden changes of temperature, and I am 
under the impression that the eggs are handled a great deal, as they opened 
them without any hesitation, and even asked us if we should not like to in- 
vest capital in the business, for which they offered to pay two per cent, a 
month, or a share of the profits, which were certain to be equivalent." 

From this description it appears that the first, and possibly the most deli- 



THE PEOPLE'S PKACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. - 165 

cate, stages of incubation are superintended with greatest care, and that the 
eggs are more freely exposed to the atmosphere as the incubation approaches 
completion. It is to be regretted that the exact temperature of the rooms is 
not given, the sensation of warmth being quite fallacious as a test of temper- 
ature. 



REARING CHICKENS BY ARTIFICIAL MEANS. 



ARTIFICIAL MOTHERS. 

Where poultry breeding is carried on to a large extent, and where it is 
intended to rear the greatest number of chickens with the least number of 
hens, or with an incubator, artificial mothers are of the utmost importance. 
Chickens can be just as well reared, and, some writers aver, even better by ar- 
tificial than by the natural method. The only use of the hen is to prevent the 
natural heat of the chick's body from cooling — to break up the food, and pro- 
tect them from danger. In fact, chickens do not really require an artificial 
hen. They only require a suitable covering for their bodies until full-fledged, 
to preserve the natural heat, so as to keep their bodies warm, the same as 
full-grown fowls. 

TO GET EARLY CHICKENS. 

The artificial mother is very convenient to persons raising poultry, either 
on a large or small scale, to get early chickens in January or February, when 
the weather will not permit them to run out, and to have fine, large fowls for 
exhibition in the fall months. For large poultry dealers a good, light house 
is required, with good ventilation, without a draught ; a dry and well graveled 
floor ; sunlight, and a small run, with a little fire, in very cold, damp, chilly 
and rainy days, to keep the atmosphere dry, is all that is needed to raise as 
fine chickens as may be desired. The artificial mother, however, is a great 
economizer of time and labor — saves the necessity of any coops, which would 
otherwise be needed. It protects the little chicks from the changeableness 
of the weather, and from the vermin that infests, more or less, all poultry 
yards. By this mode the chickens are also completely under control, and 
where they can be given all sorts of nourishing drinks and food, without fear 
or trouble of the mother hen. 

ARTIFICIAL MOTHERS MAY BE USED WITHOUT THE INCUBATOR. 

Hens, especially those of the large or Asiatic breeds, are apt, when in con- 
finement, to kill their chickens by treading upon them, or in scratching, and 
occasionally some mothers pick their young to death or prevent them from 
coming near her to pick up food. In the use of the artificial mother this can 



166 



THE PEOPLES PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



be obviated, and each chicken allowed to get its equal amount of food with 
the others. If the incubator is not used for hatching eggs, as we have said 
before, the artificial mother will be found to be a very useful appendage to 
the poultry yard, in more ways than one. As soon as the chickens are 
hatched out, say in about twenty-four hours, take them from the hen and put 
them into the artificial mother. Then place the hen back into the pen, in 
readiness to perform, in a few days, her ordinary functions in laying. 

PERSPECTIVE SECTION OF A PORTABLE ARTIFICIAL HEN. 

The engraving herewith given is taken from Gey din's Poultry Breeding, 
and described as follows : — A is a 




PERSPECTIVE SECTION OF A PORTABLE ARTIFICIAL HEN. 

inches wide, two feet high at the apex, and twelve inches at the rise of the 
glass frame. This forms a dry run in wet and cold weather, c is an air-flue 
across the frame for the necessary ventilation, and formed of perforated zinc. 
At each end of this flue a ventilator is fixed, by which the admission of air 
can be regulated according to the temperature of the atmosphere. It will be 
apparent that chickens are not exposed to draught by this arrangement of 
ventilation, d is a frame lined with long fleece, under which the chickens 
will roost the same as under the wings of a hen, and will even prefer the 
artificial mother, as I have ascertained by experience, e is about one inch 
deep of ashes, which may be sprinkled over with flour of sulphur. They 
make a dry and warm footing, and retain the heat ; but they should be re- 
newed or sifted once a week, f, the floor, should be slightly covered with 
sand, and reneAved every day. g is a small door, communicating with the 
open run. h is a glass frame, made to open by means of a slide or by hinges. 
B is the moveable open run, six feet long, fifteen inches wide, and twelve 
inches high. It is made of galvanized iron wire, which not only keeps the 
chickens from danger, but also prevents them from roaming. The artificial 
mother, being portable, should be taken in-doors every afternoon during the 
cold weather, and in the daytime should be placed on grass or dry land. The 
run should be made of small mesh, rat-proof wire. 

GRAVES' ARTIFICIAL MOTHER. 

This engraving represents one of the most approved artificial mothers of 
the present day, in fact, we believe, the best yet in use or invented. It is a 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



167 



box about six or eight feet long, with a glass door or lid that lifts up. The 
apparatus for heating the artificial mother is on the same principle as that of 




GRAVES' ARTIFICIAL MOTHER. 



heating the incubator. It consists of a tank, a, filled with warm water, in- 
closed in the box under, «, and provided on its under side with a lining of 
sheepskin, or other soft material, and having an open space, covered with a 
glass roof, d. t, thermometer, regulating the heat on, the inside, e, sliding 
door, for the chickens to run in or out, at either end of the artificial mother. 
As we have said elsewhere, the mother is heated on the same principle as the 
Graves Incubator, therefore we deem any further description unnecessary and 
superfluous. 



IRREGULAR SEXUAL VARIATIONS OF PLUMAGE. 



This is a subject that has of late attracted considerable attention of 
breeders, not only in this country, but also in England and France. Some 
time during 1869 a correspondent and particular friend of Moore's Rural 
New- Yorker entered a complaint against a well-known breeder, of having 
been swindled by him. He (the said correspondent) having purchased a 
pair of fowls and represented that instead of receiving a male and 
female bird he had got two male birds. Some time after he discovered 
that one of the birds had every appearance of being a cock bird, both in 
plumage and action, but laid an egg every day with the regularity of clock- 



168 the people's practical poultry book. 

work. He could not account for this curious freak of nature. He set the 
eggs of this product, but never had any of them hatch ; seemingly none of 
them were impregnated. 

We now get, through the London Field, illustrations of birds of this 
character, which we give in this connection, with a condensed report of the 
same as made to the Field, by the well-known author W. B. Tegetmeier. 
He says : — " The case of assumption of male plumage by the female as repre- 
sented in fig. 1, is certainly one of the most extraordinary on record, for the 
hen has not merely taken on the appearance of the male of her own variety, 
but has become still more masculine. Evexy poultry fancier knows that a 
Sebright bantam cock is what is called a hen-feathered bird — viz. : It has a 
square tail like that of a hen, and is destitute of the flowing sickle and saddle 




Fig. 1— Barren Full-Feathered Sebright Bantam Hen. 

feathers and long pointed hackles that ordinarily distinguish the male species 
of domestic poultry. It might have been anticipated that the barren Se- 
bright hen would have only assumed the male characters proper to the 
breed to which she belonged, such as a largely developed comb, elongated 
spurs, and the masculine crow ; but this specimen acquired the long sickle and 
saddle feathers and pointed hackles of an ordinary full-feathered cock, still 
retaining the beautiful lacings or markings peculiar to the variety to which 
she belonged. The hen died in the autumn of 1869, before she had quite 
got through her molt, consequently the sickle feathers are not so long and 
curved as they would have been had she lived a few weeks longer. She was, 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 169 

however, carefully preserved for me by Mr. E. Ward of London, and the 
engraving is a very faithful representation of her appearance. The converse 
of the assumption of male plumage by the hen is the putting on the female 
plumage by the cock. There are, as is well known, several varieties of domes- 
tic poultry in which the cocks are hen-feathered, as in some breeds of Ham- 
burgs and Game. This peculiarity is generally hereditary, and in the old 
days of the cock-pit, hen-cocks were well known. There is, however, a re- 




Fig. 2.— Fertile Hen-Feathered Game Bantam Cook. 

markable distinction between the two cases described. A hen that has 
assumed the male plumage does so from being barren, and in consequence of 
disease or degeneration of the ovary. A hen-feathered cock, on the con- 
trary, is perfectly fertile, and usually produces chickens with plumage like his 
own. The change of plumage from the full feather of the cock to the sober 
attire of the hen has never, I believe, been recorded, except by myself. It 
was a Game Bantam that was kept by me as a stock bird for his first season, 
and that changed at the second autumnal molt into the plumage of a hen of 
the same variety — namely, brown-breasted red. During his second breeding 
season, and as long as he lived afterwards, he produced chickens, some of 
which were full-feathered cocks, and some hen-feathered like himself." 



POULTRY ENEMIES. 



As every poultry-yard is more or less infested with, or annoyed by rats, 
weasels, skunks, and other vermin, we have been induced to give in these 
pages what we can find upon the subject of interest, and 

HOW TO PREVENT THE DEPREDATIONS 

of vermin on poultry. The most common enemy has proved with us to be 
rats. We have had them frequently carry off chicks and ducks fully a 
quarter grown, to say nothing of the depredations they have committed on 
broods but a few days old, in some instances carrying off whole clutches in 
the course or a few nights. 

THE COMMON STEEL TRAP. 

We have used the common steel trap, for catching rats, with good success 
in our poultry-yard, but after a time the varmints become shy of its open 
jaws, and it fails to perform the good offices we desire to have it. We have 
then taken to the 

COMMON BOX TRAP, 

which is shown in fig. 1, and with which we have been quite successful. It 
can be made by almost any one who is conversant with the use of tools, 
requiring a few boards, nails and wire in its construction, and will last for 
years, with any ordinary care. 

HOW THE TRAP IS MADE. 

The top and bottom of the trap are made of oak boards one inch thick and 
twenty inches square. It is divided into two parts, making really two dis- 
tinct traps. The corners are of wire about one-quarter inch diameter, and 
the sides and partition of No. V wire. Holes are bored both top and 
bottom and the wires inserted. The corner wires are riveted, holding the 
trap firmly together ; the doors are of oak, three-quarter inch thick, and are 
kept in place by a cross wire on the top board of the trap and by two small 
staples near the bottom edge of the door, which slide on the upright wires on 
each side. The treadle, X, is also oak, working on the upright pin, O, as a 
fulcrum, and being held in place by the wire hook, V, working on a pivot at 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



171 



P, and on the lower end of which the bait is placed, 
represented as set, the other as sprung. 



One side of the trap is 



SETTING AND BAITING THE TRAP. 

In setting this trap, when the rats are abundant, we have always baited 
the trap for several nights before setting it in earnest ; we fasten the bait to 
the hook, and then fix the trap so it cannot be sprung, then strew Indian 
meal or other feed around the bottom of the 
trap. In a few nights the rats will make 
this quite a feeding ground. We have 
caught, says a writer in Moore's .Rural 
New-Yorker, twenty-seven rats in a single 
night ; sixteen at the first setting and 
eleven at the next. Then perhaps it would 
be a week before we would catch another in 
that trap ; meanwhile we would start 
another. 




Fig. 1— Common Box Teap. 






THE BOX OR BARREL TEAP. 

One simple arrangement has caught scores for us. In any building or 
cellar where the rats abound put a water-tight box or barrel ; if a box, it 
should not be less than two and a half feet deep ; about one-third down from 
the top hang a lid or trap-door, hanging it from the side of the box or barrel. 
(See fig. 2.) Cover this lid with a piece of tin or sheet iron in such a way 
that there is no roughness to make a foothold for 
rats. To hold up this lid, make a common wii-e 
spring, thus X, X, passing through the side of the 
box or barrel, to the ring of which attach a cord ; 
carry this cord to the outside of the building or 
cellar, so that it can be pulled without being- 
obliged to enter the room where the trap is. The 
lid should hang so as to drop, not lift or raise. 
Sprinkle some corn meal or other feed on the lid, 
having previously put about six or eight inches of 
water in the box. At any time during the day or 
night, when you are passing, pull the spring and 
Fig. 2— Barrel Trap. drop the lid ; a minute's time will reset the trap, 

and, although you may often catch nothing, you will sometimes catch half a 
dozen at a time. We have known over a dozen caught during a single 
evening, and in the course of a month a house almost depopulated of rats. 

WEASELS, MINKS AND SKUNKS. 

In the country we also have weasels, minks and skunks to fight against. 
If the place abounds with mice the weasel will rarely touch the chickens, the 
former being his favorite food. But when the weasel once gets a taste of 




172 the people's practical poultry book. 

chickens, he will sometimes slaughter whole broods in a single night ; he 
simply sucks the blood and passes on to the next. We have known them to 
attack full grown fowls, but rarely ; unless their burrow is near by, they will 
seldom visit the same yard two nights in succession. 

THE RAVAGES OF THE MINK. 

Next to the weasel, the mink is most dreaded among poultry. In locali- 
ties near salt marshes, swamps, ponds and sluggish streams they most 
abound. The ravages of the mink are easily told from those of the weasel, or 
any other animal. He almost always carries off a portion of his prey and 
tries to secrete it. If you find a half-grown chicken or old fowl dead and 
dragged wholly or partly into a stone wall or under some building, you may 
be certain it is the work of a mink; and if you go to work right, you will be 
just as certain to trap him. 

THE PECULIARITIES OF THE MINK. 

One peculiarity of the animal makes his capture easy — he always returns 
to a spot where he has hidden his quarry, or where he has made a raid ; and 
if he misses it, will go searching around for it. A knowledge of this fact 
led to the invention, some ten years since, of the trap given in fig. 3. The 
trap should be three feet long, one 

foot wide, and one foot high, outside Jff|l|55-_ fe^ 

measurement, and may be made of J0ff^Z~K ~^^*^lr 
ordinary faced pine boards. N is the ^HII^ 

only solid part of the top, to which is Q i ~==^^ --^Bi^ 

hinged the lids L and D, and also in pH ^== . "\j | §p|— I 

which the standard S is mortised. The V^ ____ = „„,-="="=" = - ss ' J \ 1 H \j 

lid L is held up by the rod A, in which 

are one or more notches, to elevate it FlG - 3 ~ MmK Teap - 

the desired hight, catching or hooking over the pin B, and projecting a few 
inches beyond. Under A, and hinged into the standard by the pin P, is the 
lever T, also projecting an inch or more beyond. C is a treadle-board, 
hinged at Y to the bottom of the trap, and connecting by the wire W to the 
lever T, elevating it about two inches when set. H is the bait box, 
separated from the main trap by a wire screen, X, X. O is a window, of 
which there should be one on each side about three or four inches square, also 
covered with wire or wire cloth, and D is the lid of the bait box, fastened 
down by the pin E. 

BAITING AND SETTING THE TRAP. 

If you have a chicken or fowl that has been killed by the mink a night or 
two preceding, put that into the bait box and close the lid, placing the trap 
as near the spot where the dead fowl was found as you can. If a live fowl 
is put in, no harm can be done to it, the screen effectually protecting it. The 
mink enters the trap, and as soon as his weight gets well up on the treadle it 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



173 



pulls down the lever T, the projecting end of which dislodges the rod A, and 
drops the lid L. It is best to have a weight upon L, or else a catch to hold 
it down when sprung, as we have known an old mink to pry up the lid and 
get out. We have never known this trap to miss when set immediately suc- 
ceeding the depredations of one of these varmints. 

YOUNG MINKS SUCK EGGS. 

Young minks not one-third grown will suck eggs. A friend of ours once 
found three young ones in his stable, each with its head inside of an egg 
shell, and as effectually trapped as any one could wish, which he soon dis- 
patched. 

DESTRUCTIVENESS OF THE SKUNK. 

Next to the mink, the skunk is the most destructive to poultry. We 
have had three entire broods, thirty-seven chicks with two or three hens, 
killed in a single night by these animals. We at that time, some fifteen or 
more years ago, put our hens and chickens on the bare ground. The skunk 
dug under, and then had the fun all to himself; since then we have made all 
our coops with hard bottoms, and have lost no more chicks from that cause. 

HOW TO BAIT THE TRAP FOE SKUNKS. 

The only way we have trapped the skunk was with eggs, of which they 
are passionately fond. Neither are they particular about the quality, as they 
seem to favor a rotten one, or one with a dead chicken in it, as well as the 
best and freshest. Tie the egg in a piece of netting, and fasten it to the 




Fig. 4 — Babeel Skunk Trap. Fig. 5. 

treadle of a steel trap, or to a common box trap. Take care that it is a trap 
you do not wish to use again soon, for it will doubtless be too highly flavored 
to suit a refined taste. 

MANNER OF SETTING THE TRAP. 

Find their burrow and set your trap near the mouth. It is nearly useless 
to set a trap where a theft has been committed. The animal may not go 
back there again for months. He might possibly be caught in a night or two, 
but the chances are ten to one against it. 

ME. HUNGERFORD's SKUNK TRAP. 

A correspondent of Moore's Rural New- Yorker, from Lyme, O., says he 



174 the people's practical poultry book. 

succeeds in riding himself of skunks in the following manner, which certainly 
is a simple mode. He says : — " I take an old barrel (see figure 4,) and place 
it on a stick of wood about seven inches high, as shown in the sketch. 
When the skunk goes for his bait, which is in the bottom of the barrel, as 
soon as he passes the center the barrel turns up with the skunk, woodchuck 
or other animal caged in the latter, without making any scent. I then take 
Mr. Skunk by the tail, and carry him where I please. Care must be taken 
not to place the barrel too high, as it might throw over and not remain up- 
right. The more skunks you catch in the same barrel, the better the trap." 

geyelin's vermin trap. 

" The trap (see figure 5) consists of an oblong box, the end of which draws 
out, and is provided with a looking-glass in the internal side, which attracts 
the vermin on looking in. The entrance of the trap is formed of two spring 
doors made of wire, which allow the vermin to enter with the least pressure. 
These doors have sharp points where they meet, which, although not felt by 
the vermin on entering, will prevent it from withdrawing after having once 
introduced its head. Near to the looking-glass a bait is suspended, and a 
cage is also fixed with a chicken to serve as a decoy. These traps are self- 
setting, simple, inexpensive, fit for all sizes of vermin, and safe for the house, 
farm-yard, or game preserve." 

h. miles' vermin trap. 

Mr. Miles says, the best trap for farmers to catch rats, mink, weasels and 
skunks ever set is : — " Take boards half an inch thick, and make a box 
the two sides and top twelve inches long, with one end closed ; the size of 
the box inside being four inches square. I give you a rough sketch of the 




liiififiiiiilililliilf 



Fig. 6. — The Trap Set. Fig. 7. — The Trap Sprung. 

trap as set. A steel spring is fastened on the closed end of the box, to which 
is fastened a square ring at its extremity, through which the game thrusts its 
head to reach the bait at one end of a catch, which holds the ring depressed, 
and held by a wire running from the front end of the trap to the catch on 
the upper extremity of the bait hook. This is the best trap for skunks in 
the world, I believe. I have used many different kinds, but none works so 
well as this. You can set it at a hole in a wall or fence. It is sure fire." 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 175 

CROWS AND HAWKS. 

Crows and hawks are to be classed among the enemies of poultry. The 
former prey only on young chickens and eggs. Catch one and hang it in 
your poultry yard ; no other crow will come near it. 

HOW TO TRAP CROWS. 

The quickest and surest trap for crows is to place a steel trap in the 
shallow water of a pond, so that the jaws, when open, are just under water. 
On the treadle place a small tuft of grass or moss, making a miniature 
island. Then cut a small stick with three branches, forking in such a manner 
as to support an egg on them ; stick this about six or eight inches from the 
trap ; lay a little moss, grass, or leaves over it, and place the egg on the 
forks, so it will appear as if floating on the water ; cover the remainder of 
the trap lightly with grass, so as to hide it from sight. To obtain the egg 
the crow will light on the " island" and find, too late, he's caught. 

HOW TO GET RID OF HAWKS. 

When hawks are troublesome, the only remedy is to shoot them. You 
will soon notice that he visits your yard about a certain time every day, 
and by watching for him you can soon rid yourself of the troublesome 
visitor — of course, provided you are a good shot. 



PACKING EGGS FOR TRANSPORTATION, ETC. 



PUTTING THE LARGE END DOWN. 

A new fact has just been developed hi regard to the packing of eggs for 
transportation and for hatching. The old theory of packing eggs with the 
small end down has been practiced so long that many think that the infalli- 
ble mode. But the experiment we are about to relate confirms us in the be- 
lief that the modus operandi now recommended is a good one, and, coming 
from the source it does, is worthy of consideration by those desiring eggs 



176 THE people's practical poultry book. 

ti-ansported to them from a distance. The article in question is from the pen 
of L. Wright, author of the Practical Poultry Keeper, and those familiai 
with his writings on poultry or conversant with the reputation of his book, 
need no other assurance of the feasibility of the results arrived at by him. 
He says he has discarded bran in packing eggs, and substituted therefor hay ; 
believing that good, soft hay is the best material that can be used. 

MANNER OF PACKING. 

His mode is to put a good layer of hay in the bottom of a box, not 
rammed down, but left springy, and some hay put all around the inside ; the 
eggs should be nicely bedded in one layer only. Each egg should be 
wrapped singly and loosely in a piece of paper a quarter the size of a com- 
mon newspaper page, in such a manner as to leave the ends square, and not 
shaped to the egg. Then a good wisp of hay is wrapped round each, and 
the eggs put in the box just tightly enough to prevent them from shaking 
about, and no more. The eggs should be packed with the large end down. 
Mr. Wright says he can state positively that eggs intended for hatching will 
keep good much longer and better when placed on the large end than in any 
other position. Mr. Geyelin also advocates this position for eggs intended 
to hatch. 

the reasons for packing with the large end down. 

Mr. Wright's experiments in this matter extend over a period of two 
years. A lady correspondent of his, of large experience, writing him upon 
this subject, says : — " Keeping eggs on the small end appears to me to cause 
the air-bubble to spread, detaching it from the shell, or rather from its mem- 
braneous lining ; and after being so kept for a fortnight the air-bubble will be 
found to be much spread, and the egg to have lost much of its vitality, 
though still very good for eating." In describing her success with keeping 
eggs in a contrary position, (large end downward,) says : — " Owing to this 
method of storing, such a. thing as a stale egg has never been known in my 
house ; and as regards success in hatching, for several seasons when I was 
able to attend to my poultry myself, of many broods set, every egg produced 
a chicken." 

CORRECTNESS OF THIS THEORY. 

Again, to prove that Mr. W. is correct in his theory, he cites a case 
wherein he shipped thirty eggs from England to a gentleman in Ohio, 
packed in the manner here described ; the eggs were twenty-two days on 
the way, and eighteen chickens were hatched from them. In regard to 
these eggs he says : — " As I had not many hens laying at the time, many 
of the eggs must have been eight to ten days old when sent, and fully a 
month old when set; and I think, therefore, the simple fact that they 
hatched in the proportion of six to every ten will be sufficient warrant for 
my now recommending to other fanciers, with full confidence, the adoption 
of this position for packing and storing." 



I 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 177 

Mr. Babcock, New-Haven, Conn., sent us twelve Muscovy duck eggs 
packed in nearly the same manner as described, which were set under a 
barn-yard hen ; the eggs becoming chilled they did not hatch, but on being 
broken we found eight of the twelve had dead ducljs nearly fully matured 
in them. We have, therefore, no hesitancy in recommending to those de- 
siring eggs for incubation, to request that they be packed in the manner 
here described, and in no other way, as we believe more than one-half the 
complaints that arise about the unfertility of eggs, can be traced to no 
other cause than the careless, bungling and improper manner in which they 
are packed and shipped. 

A WORD ABOUT PACKING BOXES. 

We have used and seen a great many packing boxes, but think the one 
we here describe, (and which is not patented,) is one of the very best, and 
which received the premium at the annual exhibition of the New-York 
State Poultry Society. This box is intended for the transportation of eggs 
of fancy fowls desired for hatching purposes. It is described as follows : 
It is a box made of pine wood, dove-tailed together, ten and three-eighth 
inches long, eight and two-eighth inches wide, and six inches in hight, con- 
taining twelve compartments of wood, which are fastened together so that 
they can be pulled all out at once. These compartments are two inches wide, 
and nearly the depth of the box. To pack the eggs you pull out the inner 
boxes, and place bran, cut hay or any other soft substance in the bottom, and 
then replace your box compartments ; then roll your eggs in soft white tissue 
or tea-paper, wide enough so that when you turn down the ends they will 
lap over each other, and so doubly protect the ends of the eggs, and then 
wrap them in newspaper, so as to make almost a small square bundle, folding 
the ends over nicely. Then place this, with the large end of the egg down- 
wards, in the several compartments, until they are all filled. Then place the 
bran in around the edges or open spaces, so that the egg cannot move, and 
fill the top up with bran. Place on the cover, which slides into a groove on 
either side of the box, and screw the end down with one screw, so that the 
cover will not slide off. Then place your box in as many newspapers as you 
may think proper for the distance it is to go, and cover the whole with a 
covering of thick hardware paper, and tie with a strong thick twine, for a 
handle. 

MODE OP PACKING EGGS FOR MARKET. 

As we have given a description and manner of making boxes for the 
transportation of eggs, for hatching purposes, we now propose to give a 
description and engravings of two new and useful inventions, by which eggs 
may be carried any required distance with perfect safety, at all seasons of the 
year, without loss from breakage or heating. By this arrangement the 
present system of packing eggs in barrels, or other packages, by the use of 
oats, chaff or other material is entirely abandoned. 

12 



178 



THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



THE CANVASS-COVERED CASE. 

1 represents a substantial carrying case, with nine draws, 



the 



Figure 

frames of which are of wood, covered with canvass or sacking, with cords or 
strings underneath, for the purpose of keeping the eggs in their places. The 

sacks, at the top and bottom, have 
depressions, as shown in the covei 
of the engraving, so that the eggx 
fit snugly, and are not liable to be. 
displaced by handling or transporta- 
tion. Each alternate layer, coining 
between these depressions in each 
box or drawer, fills up the interstices 
perfectly. With proper care these 
cases will last for years ; are always 
ready for packing, and can be filled 
as the eggs are laid — thus avoiding 
repeated handlings, which so fre- 
quently injure them. The eggs can 
also be kept in them perfectly se- 
cure, when the owner desires to 
hold his stock for a better market. 
There are nine layers or drawers of 
eggs in this box, each layer contain- 




Fig. 1.— Canvass Covered Case. 



mg eight dozen, or a total of seventy-two dozen of eggs. 

THE COMMON TRANSPORTATION CASE. 

Figure 2 shows a cheaper case, in every respect. It is a common packing 
box, made with paste or binder's-board partitions, and each layer of eggs is 




Fig. 2. — Common Transportation Case. Fig. 3. —Suspension Egg Carrier. 

covered with the same material. One point connected with packing in these 
boxes the shipper should know and guard against, that is, it is sometimes 
the case that the paste-board cover, on which the eggs are placed, is com- 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 179 

posed of two pieces, and during transportation or handling these pieces be- 
come displaced, or pass each other ; then the eggs above drop down on the 
lower ones, and break them. This difficulty-, however, can easily be avoided 
by pasting a piece of stiff paper over the joint, which will prevent them pass- 
ing each other. Should there be too much space in the top of the case, place 
a paper or two over the eggs, and fill with straw or hay, which will keep all 
tight and compact, without any fear of breakage. Any sized box desired 
can be used for this style of case, and, with a little care on the part of the 
packer of the eggs, can be carried as safely as with any of the patent boxes 
or egg-packing cases now in vogue. 

SUSPENSION EGG CARRIER. 

Figure 3 consists of an outside case or crate, in which are fitted a num- 
ber of trays, with cords laced through the sides and ends, dividing the space 
into small squares or meshes, and making a delicate spring, which responds 
to the slightest jar. Rows of pockets are suspended from the cord work, 
giving to each a separate apartment, and so arranged that no jar nor jolt the 
carrier may receive can cause one egg to strike another ; and being thus sep- 
erated, a free circulation of air is obtained, which prevents heating by any 
possibility. Each tray is provided with a protector, which keeps the eggs 
in the pockets even though the carrier be overturned. As each tray contains 
a certain number, no errors in count can ever occur, and the purchaser can 
determine at a glance both the number and quality of the eggs. By using 
the carrier a child can pack as well as a man, and much faster than by the 
present system. One of these carriers, the size shown in the illustration, will 
hold sixty dozen eggs. 

THE CHAMPION EGG CARRIER. 

This carrier consists of a case or box, with a tight cover, and trays fitted 
inside, each to contain three dozen eggs. The trays are made of strips of 
straw board, folded double, and so arranged as to make pyramid pockets, 
smaller at the bottom than the top. By an ingenious invention these pockets 
are provided with delicate springs in each corner, at half the depth of the 
pocket, and where they are not subject to wear, which causes the bottoms of 
the double strips of paper to spring apart or diverge from each other, so that 
eggs being placed in the pockets on their small ends, although of various 
sizes, are/ held in an upright position, and no jolt or jar can cause one egg to 
strike tlje other. . 

7 PRESERVING EGGS. 

We have tried several modes of preserving eggs, and never found any 
difficulty in keeping them any length of time, for culinary purposes, nearly as 
good ajnd fresh as when first laid. Our principal mode has been that recom- 
mended by Mons. Chas. Jacque, which, from several years experience, 
proved one of the best we ever tried ; having succeeded in keeping eggs nice 
for use from six to eight months after they were laid. 



180 THE PEOPLE S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

THE MODE OP PUTTING DOWN. 

The most certain and most lasting mode of preservation consists in 
covering the eggs in a jar filled with lime water, recently prepared, and 
keeping them in a cool place. The lime water is prepared from quick lime, 
or that which has been slaked but lately, by placing it in a quantity of water 
greater than would cover the eggs. The milk of lime which is thus formed 
is allowed to stand several hours. The clear liquid which separates itself 
from the excess of lime used is the lime water, which is poured off for use. 
Lime water not only prevents the evaporation, since the eggs are plunged in 
the liquid, but the alkali which it holds in solution closes the pores of the 
shell and prevents all fermentation, either of the eggs or of the organic 
matter which the water might contain. 

PACKING IN SALT. 

We have had good results also from packing eggs in very dry barrel salt, 
which have kept for months in a well preserved state. Our mode was to 
stand a box or stone jar in a cool place in the cellar, put therein a layer of 
salt, then one of eggs, with the large ends downward, taking care that the 
eggs did not touch one another ; continue this practice until the jar or box is 
full ; cover the box and let it stand without disturbing until the eggs are 
needed for use. We have packed eggs in this way in June and July, and 
found them in January and February perfectly fresh in looks and having no. 
stale or musty taste when brought to the table. 

THE FRENCH MODE OF PRESERVING EGGS. 

The French mode of preserving eggs is to dissolve °our ounces of beeswax 
in eight ounces of warm olive oil ; hi this put the tip of the finger and anoint 
the egg all around. The oil will immediately be absorbed by the shell and 
the pores filled up by the wax. If kept in a cool place, the eggs, after two 
years, will be as good as if fresh laid. 



EGGS AS A COMMERCIAL COMMODITY. 



THE CONSUMPTION" OP EGGS IN NEW-YOEK CITY. 

Eggs form a very important commercial commodity. What the extent 
of the business is in New- York there are no returns to enable one to state 
definitely, but that it is large is manifest. We can form some estimate of it 
by glancing at the consumption in other cities. 

EGGS CONSUMED IN PARIS. 

In Paris it was calculated that the annual average consumption of eggs 
per head was one hundred and seventy-five, or in a population of two mil- 
lions a total of three hundred and fifty millions. The average of the country 
districts was placed even higher than this, while the aggregate French pro- 
duct has been estimated at between seven and eight thousand millions an- 
nually, a number large enough to form a string of beads that would twice 
encircle the globe. 

IN GREAT BRITAIN THE QUANTITY CONSUMED 

has been set down at one billion five hundred millions, of which one hundred 
millions are imported. The bulk of the importations and large quantities of 
the home produce go to London, which, however, does not eat, proportion- 
ately, so large a number as Paris. 

COMPARISON WITH NEW-YORK CITY. 

It will be safe to assert, after a due comparison with these cities, that 
New-York consumes annually one hundred million eggs — an amount which 
may be more readily comprehended by remembering that this number would 
weigh about thirty-six thousand tons, and on the principle that an egg is 
equal in nutritious value to a quarter of a pound of meat, would represent 
an average of twenty-five pounds of flesh meat per year, for every man, 
woman and child in the metropolis. 

THE CASH VALUE OP THIS PRODUCT. 

The cash value of this product cannot be less than two millions of dollars, 
while the demand for the article and its selling price are steadily increasing. 



182 THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 

These figures show that trifling in detail as the egg trade may seem, in the 
aggregate it is an important business. And they suggest, also, the question, 

HOW CAN THE SUPPLY BE INCREASED? 

Unlike a great many other occupations, no one seems to make egg pro- 
ducing a specialty, with a single eye to making a living out of it ; and yet, 
taking the figures above quoted as trustworthy data, they point to the con- 
clusion that there's money in the business. Some years ago we read an in- 
teresting account of an establishment near Paris for the manufacture — or 
perhaps production would be a better word — of eggs and chickens for the 
Parisian market. It was on an immense scale, and was a great success. 
Why cannot we have large henneries near each of our principal cities ? Or, 
to limit the inquiry to a single case, why cannot some enterprising person or 
persons, for there is room for dozens, establish one or more egg manufactories 
on the outskirts of New- York? Let us see what preliminaries would be 
necessary for such an undertaking. 

AMOUNT OF CAPITAL TO BE INVESTED. 

A fair but not excessive amount of capital, which would be invested 
under these two favorable circumstances, that there would be immediate re- 
turns for the outlay, and an excellent market for the produce. 

A SUPPLY OP HENS. 

But it is not necessary that these should be of any fancy and, conse- 
quently, high priced breed, another important consideration affecting the 
original capital. General experience has shown that good barn-door fowls, 
us they are termed, prove as profitable in the end as more pretentious birds. 

A PIECE OF LAND PROPORTIONATE TO THE STOCK OF HENS. 

Mr. Warren Leland of the Metropolitan Hotel, New-York, finds it 
beneficial to allow an acre to every hundred hens, but rough, broken ground, 
with some low bushes and heaps of sand, ashes and lime scattered about, 
answers admirably. The London Meld corroborates Mr. Leland's ex- 
perience, while a writer in the Massachusetts Ploughman states that six 
acres is plenty for a thousand hens. If the land is to serve in part as a feed- 
ing ground, then the first estimate ; if merely, or mostly, for exercise, the 
latter is ample. 

A GOOD SUPPLY OF FOOD. 

This is important. "Hen-laying," says Mr. Leland again, "is hard 
work, and requires high feeding." This is very true, and a false economy 
here would be fatal. But he points out also a cheap and excellent source oi 
supply. " Much of my success," he adds, " is due to the fact that my hens 
get all the scraps from my hotel." In a large city, like New-York, these 
scraps could be obtained for a trifle in many cases, for the mere trouble of 
collecting them in others. Why cannot they be gathered and transformed 






THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 183 

into eggs? This will prove the corner stone of success in making eggs 
cheaply. Food of any kind always goes farther when cooked, and animal 
food and a certain degree of warmth are essential to early and prolific laying. 

OTHER DETAILS WILL READILY SUGGEST THEMSELVES. 

There must be sheds for the accommodation of the poultry without undue 
crowding, and these must be kept perfectly well ventilated and artificially 
heated in winter. Coal is a cheaper fuel than any kind of food. Layers, 
sitters and fattening birds must be kept separated. Quietness and cleanliness 
should reign everywhere, and all outside intruders must be rigorously ex- 
cluded. Plenty of fresh, pure water is a necessity, and a portion of the old 
stock should be regularly renewed, as only from young and vigorous fowls 
could the best results be obtained. 

CHICKENS NOT BROUGHT INTO THE ACCOUNT. 

We say nothing of chickens, though these would doubtless form a useful 
department in the outline here faintly limned. Nor do we enter into any 
calculations as to the amount of profit to be realized. This would depend 
largely on personal qualities. A recent writer in one of our farming papers 
claimed a profit of ten dollars per hen per annum on a small scale. We 
believe that with New- York to furnish the scraps for almost nothing, and 
buy them back in the shape of eggs at a good market price, a greater aver- 
age may be achieved ; and are certain that a much lower figure would be 
largely profitable. 



CARE OF POULTRY IN WINTER. 



The Farmers' Club of the American Institute appointed a Committee to 
visit Warren Leland's farm, and examine his mode of keeping poultry in 
winter. The following is the Committee's report, made in February, 1871 : 

We spent a day at the farm of Warren Leland, twenty-five miles north 
of New York City, at Rye Station, and have derived, from a careful survey 
of his yards, ideas which we consider important. We find him carrying one 
hundred and fifty turkeys, abou,t three hundred hens, a large drove of ducks, 
and several dozen of geese through the winter, without the loss of any of his 
poultry by disease of any sort, and without the freezing of their feet or of 
their eggs. We learn that he never has maladies among his poultry ; that he 
will allow the greater part of his hens to sit in the spring, and each of them 
will yield an average brood of ten chicks, so that he will raise about three 
thousand chickens from his present flock, and his losses be very few. How 
does he do it ? His hens, ducks and geese have the best winter quarters we 
have ever seen provided for any of the feathered tribes. Their 

MAIN BARRACK, OR HENNERY, 

is a stone house, seventy-five feet long, and twenty feet wide, and faces south. 
The openings on the north side are small, and filled with window glass, and 
in some cases with double sash. Those on the south side are much larger, 
consisting of double doors, which are opened on sunny days. In the middle 
of the north side is a wide, old-fashioned fire-place, with crane and a big 
camp kettle. Nearly every day in winter a fire is lit, and fed with chunks, 
knots and old logs, that would otherwise be knocked about the wood-yard, 
and left to rot in fence corners. The walls are of stone, and the floor of rock 
or earth, so the fire can be left without the least danger. 

On cold days, and especially in cold rains, the hens gather before this fire 
and warm themselves, and trim their feathers. The chimney can easily be 
closed, or the logs rolled out into the middle of the building, and feathers or 
sulphur used to make a 

FUMIGATION. 

This is done whenever hen lice appear ; and the openings of the house can 
be closed, so as to hold the fumigation till it penetrates to every crack. 
Smoke he finds better than carbolic acid or kerosene, or whitewash, to drive 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 185 

vermin. The roosts are oak slats, an inch thick by two and a half inches 
wide, fastened to the rafters near the ridge. They are nailed at different 
hights, and at proper intervals. About two feet below the perches is a 
scaffold of boards, that fit quite closely. This is from time to time covered 
with plaster and ashes. About once a month the accumulations are shoveled 
down, and piled up for the corn-field. He calculates that fifty hens yield, in 
the course of a year, as much compost as would be worth fifty dollars in bone 
meal ; that is to say, if he threw away his hen droppings and had to buy the 
same amount of fertilizing salts in bone-dust, it would cost him fifty dollars 
to replace fifty hens as producers of manure. He has paid special attention 
to the comfort of his 

HENS ON" THE PERCH. 

They sit on a slat two and one-half inches wide. Their breast feathers come 
down and cover their feet, and protect them from freezing in the coldest 
nights. Of course, there is no lack of dry ashes in their house, and he finds 
that after the fire goes out the hens use the hearth as a place to nestle, and 
shake ashes through their feathers. They enjoy it, and it keeps them sound 
and comfortable. The offal of the farm, as entrails, feathers, heads, scraps 
from lard, and all the odds and ends from the kitchen are thrown into this 
house, and the hens pick it over, eating all they want. Then, as soon as 
spring opens, all this trash is shoveled and scraped out, composted and taken 
to the corn-field. Besides this refuse, his poultry eat about a bushel of corn 
a day in winter, and half a bushel in summer. He raises large crops of corn, 
because he has strong manure to feed his crops with, his calculation being 
that about four acres of corn go to feed and fatten his poultry. In spring, 

AFTER A HEN HAS HATCHED, 

her nest is taken out, the straw burned, and the box whitewashed inside and 
out, then filled with fresh straw, and put back for another family party. 
After many trials of breeds, he has settled upon the white Brahmas. They 
lay more uniformly the year through; make the best mothers, and the chicks 
grow the fastest. During summer his poultry have a wide range, and scour 
the fields for half a mile or more, 

CONSUMING GRASSHOPPERS. 

His turkeys nearly make their weight on grasshoppers and beetles, with a 
handful of corn night and morning. One man has little to do in spring and 
summer but to take care of chickens and young turkeys. In winter they re- 
quire but little attention, and this man then attends to the calves and lambs. 

THE COST OF HIS POULTRY MEAT, 

and he often kills in a season three hundred turkeys and three thousand 
chickens, he considers to be about two hundred and fifty bushels of corn, and 
the wages of his hen- wife for half the time. His gains he cannot give exactly, 
for the poultry is eaten very freely by a large family, and sent to the Metro- 



186 THE people's practical poultry book. 

politan when prices are high, or the supply in market defective in quality. 
He does not keep exact account of his eggs, for as a rule he says the best 
thing to do with an egg is to let a good motherly hen make a chicken of it. 
Your Committee conclude their report by an expression of opinion that 

THE COMMON IDEAS ON THE SUBJECT OF POULTRY RAISING, 

on a large scale, are erroneous. It has been said, again and again in this 
Club, and in farm journals, that there is no use in trying to keep more than 
about fifty hens. If one goes deeper into the poultry business there is backset 
from lice, and roup, and gapes, and cholera, and the sudden death of hens 
and chicks from causes unknown. This is a fallacy. In the manner above 
described, by the wise use of smoke and lime, and ashes, and a fire, by clean- 
liness and a wide range in mild weather, we find Mr. Leland taking about 
four thousand feathered animals through the season, for year after year, with- 
out calamity or loss, and on an expense that is very trifling, and unfelt on a 
large farm. Your Committee will visit other farms, where the special object 
is eggs, and announce the result of their observations. Dr. Smith, a member 
of the Committee, said that, in conversation, Mr. Leland said that his suc- 
cess depends upon letting his poultry alone. He repeated it over and over 
again, "let them alone; let them alone; give them liberty, and they will 
take care of themselves. Dr. Trimble, another member, said that Mr. 
Leland told him that in 

RAISING TURKEYS 

his plan was to have three or four sitting at the same time. When they had 
hatched the eggs, he gave all the young turkeys to one hen turkey, and she 
and her enlarged brood were removed to a distant part of the farm, away 
from other fowls. There a large coop was built, in which they could be shut 
up at night. They were not allowed to range in the morning until the dew 
was off. In the day time the hen was tethered to a stake ; and each day her 
stake was removed to a new place, so that she and her brood had a new range. 



A SOUTH AMERICAN POULTRY FARM. 



Just as we were about closing the last form of this work for the press we 
received from C. F. Pearce, Esq., Freetown, Mass., the following article 
giving an account of " A South American Poultry Farm," which we deem ol 
sufficient importance to give in this connection, as containing valuable in- 
formation upon a subject which will interest all breeders of poultry : 

PROFITABLE POULTRY REARING ON A LARGE SCALE. 

Although we have column after column of poultry matters offered for our 
perusal, through the agricultural press, I have as yet to see the first state- 
ment giving the facts and figures of profitable poultry raising on a large scale. 
Perhaps there might be some who have achieved success in this line, but we 
are led to believe that misfortunes are more j)lentiful than the fortunes ac- 
quired from the manipulations of this particular stock. I have tried my hand 
at the business, although on a limited scale, and can show figures giving me 
a profit of three hundred per cent, on the capital invested. There is no known 
reason why it cannot be managed in an extensive way, and with just as good 
results, provided it is entered into knowingly and understandingly. 

DESCRIPTION OP A FARM WHERE POULTRY ARE KEPT BY THE THOUSAND. 

I propose to describe a poultry farm, where fowls are kept by the thou- 
sand, and whose proprietor counts his gains therefrom proportionately. It 
is situated in the southern extremity of Chili, South America, where the 
rainy season, of six months duration, is as detrimental to the well being of all 
fowl kind as the rigors of our own winters, and where great care and skill is 
very essential to satisfactory results. 

OPERATIONS COMMENCED WITH TWO HUNDRED HENS AND EIGHT COCKS. 

Senor Don San Fuentes commenced his operations in poultry with a 
stock of two hundred hens and eight cocks, to which he has added thereto, 
by natural increase from year to year, until now he has somewhere in the 
vicinity of six thousand. Their range is unlimited, as his farm covers three 
thousand cuadras, equal to seven thousand five hundred acres. To every 
fifty hens and two cocks is given a house of their own, of which there are six 



188 the people's practical poultry book. 

or seven hundred on the place. These are placed two hundred feet apart, 
each way, thus isolating one lot from the other. 

DESCRIPTION OF THE HOUSES. 

These houses are very cheap affairs, and are made by erecting two forked 
posts, eight feet long, and distant from each other fifteen feet. On these 
rests the ridge-pole. On both sides of the centre-post, ten feet distant, a 
trench is dug, a foot in depth. Then small poles are placed for rafters, one. 
end in the trench and the other tied to the ridge-pole, two feet apart. Then 
another set of poles, tied crossways, also two feet equi-distant, and the frame 
work is complete. This is covered over with thatch, which is found in plentiful 
abundance, and to be had for the cutting. The only frame work about the 
house is the doors at the ends, both of which are four by six, and contain 
each a window, pivoted in the centre of the sash, to be opened or shut as the 
requirements of ventilation demand. Each house has its complement of 
twenty boxes, for laying, placed under the eaves, and partly concealed by 
bundles of straw. 

BUILDING FOR STORING GRAIN, EGGS, HATCHING AND SICK ROOMS, ETC. 

Near the family residence is a large building, devoted to the storing of 
grain and - eggs; a nursery for sick hens; a long room for hatching, and 
another for slaughtering purposes. In the sick room is arranged a sei'ies of 
boxes, each one large enough for the comfort and convenience of its solitary 
occupant, who is there placed, and treated for its malady with as much care 
as if its value was dollars instead of cents, and with such skill that the ratio 
of deaths has been only one in two hundred and eighty. 

THE SITTING DEPARTMENT. 

is also provided with boxes, some three hundred in number. Here all are 
brought, from their respective coops, as soon as their incubating propensity 
sows itself, and placed upon their quota of eggs. Feed, water, and a large 
supply of sand and ashes, are provided, and the sitting hen not allowed to 
leave the room until she takes her young brood with her. 

HOW THE CLUTCHES ARE DOUBLED UP. 

The clutches are then " doubled up," that is, two broods given to one 
hen, and the chickenless one sent back to her coop to resume her egg laying. 
As soon as the young chicks are discarded by their mother they are taken to 
their future home, fifty in each lot, and the old ones back to their respective 
localities. 

HOW THE FOWLS ARE FED. 

The fowls are fed three times per day, and their diet so arranged as to 
always present a variety, although oats is their staple article of food, and 
always before them in unlimited quantity. To-day, it will be indian-meal, 
made into a stiff dough, and given hot; to-morrow, barley ; next day, boiled 



THE PEOPLES PKACT1CAL POULTRY BOOK. l«y 

potatoes, mashed, and mixed with pork scraps and bran — corn broken in a 
coarse mill, and so on in rotation ; adding from time to time a dead horse, or 
some other cheap and inexpensive animal food. Burned bones, pounded 
shells, and lime, are supplied in profusion, These, with what they gather on 
their foraging expeditions, produce a wonderful supply of eggs. 

NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE THEIR COOPS IN RAINY WEATHER. 

During the rainy season they are not allowed to leave the coop, except 
the day be exceedingly pleasant, and then only for a short time. They ap- 
pear to bear their confinement remarkably well, and with hardly any decrease 
in the quantity of eggs. While confined they are allowed an extra allowance 
>f animal food. 

ATTENDANCE REQUISITE TO THE CARE OF SIX THOUSAND FOWLS. 

The attendants requisite to the care of these six thousand fowls are one 
man and four boys. The houses are thoroughly cleaned once a week, and 
the interiors whitewashed every three months. Every morning each lot of 
fowls undergoes a careful inspection, and any one found moping or otherwise 
indisposed is immediately taken to the hospital, and cared for ; and seldom is 
it but what the indisposition is cured, and she takes her place back again as 
well as ever. At evening the boys go the rounds to gather up the proceeds 
of the day's labor, which will average two hundred dozen per day the year 
through. 

WHEN THE KILLING TIME TAKES PLACE. 

"Killing time" takes place twice during the year — in the spring, and 
again at the commencement of the rainy season. All the early chickens are 
thus disposed of at good prices ; and the two-year-old fowl decapitated, to 
give room for the younger broods, as they are supposed to be past profitable 
service after the second year. 

THE PROFITS FROM ONE YEAE's BUSINESS 

amounted to eleven thousand dollars. The sales were seventy-two thousand 
dozen of eggs, and nearly twenty thousand chickens and two-year-olds. Mr. 
San Fuentes expresses himself as being perfectly satisfied with the result 
obtained, and intends to double his stock each year, until every two hundred 
feet of his extensive farm has its house of fifty tenants. 



APPENDIX 



THE ENGLISH STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE. 



TFROM TEGETMEIER'S POULTRY BOOK.] 



COCHINS. 
GENERAL SHAPE. 

THE COCK. 

Comb— Single, fine, rather small, perfectly- 
straight and upright, with well-defined 
serrations, and quite free from side-springs. 

Beak— Curved, stout at the base and tapering 
to the point. 

Head— Small for the size of the bird and 
carried rather forward. 

Eye — "Very bright and clear. 

Deaf -ear — Large and pendant. 

Wattles — Large, well rounded on the lower 
edge. 

Neck — Hackle very full and abundant, the 
lower part reaching well on to the back, 
so as to produce a gradual slant from near 
the head to the middle of the back. 

Back — Broad, with a gentle rise from the 
middle to the tail; saddle feathers very 
abundant. 

Wings— Very small ; the primaries doubled 
well under the secondaries, so as to be 
quite out of sight when the wing is closed. 

Tail — Very small ; the curved feathers 
numerous, broad, glossy, and soft; the 
whole tail forming a small hunch, carried 
rather horizontally than upright. 

Breast— Deep, broad, arid full. 

Thighs — Very large and strong ; plentifully 
covered with perfectly soft feathers, Avhich 
on the lower part should be curved inward 
round tbe hock, so as nearly to hide the 



joint from view ; Falcon or Vulture hocks, 
that is, those with hard, stiff feathers pro- 
jecting in a straight line beyond the joint, 
are objectionable, but not a disqualifica- 
tion. 

Muff— Very abundant and soft, covering the 
hind parts, and standing out about the 
thighs. 

Legs — Rather short; very thick and bony, 
wide apart, well feathered on the outside 
to the toes. 

Toes — Straight and strong; the outer and 
middle toes being well feathered. 

Carriage — Not so upright as other breeds, 
with a contented, intelligent appearance. 

THE HEN. 

Cornb — Single, very small, fine, low in front, 

erect and perfectly straight ; with small, 

well-defined serrations. 
Beak — Small, curved, and tapering. 
Head — Very small, neat, and taper. 
Eye — Very bright and clear. 
Deaf -ear — Rather large. 
Wattles— Small, neatly rounded on the lower 

edge. 
Neck — Short; carried forward, the lower 

part very full and broad; the feathers 

reaching well on to the back. 
Back — Broad, with abundance of soft feathers 

rising from the middle of the back to the 

tail. 
Wings — Very small ; primaries doubled well 

under the secondaries, so as to be quite out 



192 



of sight when the wing is closed ; bow of 
the wings neatly covered by the breast 
feathers, and the points sunk well into the 
fluff. 

Tail — Very short and small; carried hori- 
zontally, and almost hidden in soft feathers. 

Breast— Broad and full ; carried low. 

Thighs— large ; abundantly covered with 
soft fluffy feathers ; curving inward round 
the hock, so as to nearly hide the joint 
from view ; Vulture or Falcon hocks are 
objectionable, but not a disqualification. 

Muff— Very soft and abundant, covering the 
hind parts and standing out about the 
thighs, giving the bird a very deep and 
broad appearance behind. 

Legs — Short, thick, and bony; standing 
wide apart; and well feathered on the 
outside to Lhe toes. 

Toes— Strong and straight, the outer and 
middle toes well feathered. 

Carriage — Low, with a contented, intelligent 
appearance. 



BUFF COCHINS. 



COLOR OF COCI 



Comb, Face, Deaf-ear, and Wattles — Brilliant 
red. 

Head — Rich, clear buff. 

Hackle, Back, Wings, and Saddle — Rich, deep 
golden buff; the more uniform and even 
in color the better ; quite free from meali- 
ness on the wing. 

Breast, Thighs, and Fluff— Uniform clear, 
deep buff; as free from mottling or shad- 
ing as possible. 

Tail— Rich, dark chestnut, or bronzy chestnut 
mixed with black. Dark cnestnut prefer- 
able. 

Legs — Bright yellow; feathers clear, deep 
buff. 

COLOR OP HEN. 

Comb, Face, Deaf-ear, and Wattles — Brilliant 
red. 

Plumage— Uniform clear, deep buff through- 
out ; the more uniformly clear and free from 
mottling or shading the better. A clear 
hackle preferred, but a slight marking at 
the end of the feathers of the neck not a 
disqualification. 

Legs— Bright yellow, with feathers same 
color as body feathers. 



LEMON COCHINS. 

COLOR OF COCK. 

Comb, Face, Deaf-ear, and Wattles— Brilliant 
red. 

Head — Lemon, or light orange buff. 

Hackle, Back, Wings, and Saddle— Rich , Light 
orange buff; the more uniformly clear 
and even in color the better, as free as 
possible from mealy tinge on the wings. 

Breast, Thighs, and Fluff— Clear, uniform 
lemon buff. 

Tail — Rich chestnut. 

Legs — Bright yellow ; feathers lemon buff. 

COLOR OF HEN. 

Comb, Face, Deaf-ear, and Wattles— Brilliant 

red. 
Plumage — Clear, lemon buff; uniform and 

even in color throughout, and perfectly 

free from being mottled or shaded in any 

part. 
Legs — Bright yellow, with feathers same 

color as body feathers. 

In Buff and Lemon Cochins the colors 
may be either as above, or intermediate be- 
twixt the two ; but the colors must be even 
and as free from mottling or shading as 
possible. The birds must also match in the 
pen. 



SILVER BUFF COCHINS. 

COLOR OF COCK. 

Comb, Face, Deaf-ear, and Wattles— Brilliant 

read. 
Head — Light, silvery buff. 
Hackle — Rich, gold color. 
Back, Shoulder Coverts, and Wings — Bright 

silvery buff; the more even and uniform 

in color the better. 
Saddle — Rich, gold color. 
Breast, Thighs, and Fluff— Clear, light silvery 

buff. 
Tail— Light chestnut; a slight mixture of 

white not very objectionable, though not 

desirable. 
Legs — Bright yellow, with silvery buff 

feathers. 

COLOR OF HEN. 

Comb, Face, Deaf-ear, and Wattles — Brilliant 
red. 



APPENDIX. 



193 



Hackle, — Rich, gold color. 

Remainder of tlie Plumage — Clear, light, sil- 
very bnff ; the more even and uniform in 
color the better. 

Legs — Bright yellow, with feathers same 
color as body feathers. 

SILVER CINNAMON COCHINS. 

COLOR OF COCK. 

Comb, Face, Deaf-ear, and Wattles— Brilliant 
red. 

Head — Pale light cinnamon. 

Hackle— Cinnamon, or rich bright cinna- 
mon, slightly striped with white. 

Back, Shoulder, and Wings — Pale buff, or 
rich bright cinnamon, mixed with white. 

Saddle — Light cinnamon, or rich bright cin- 
namon, slightly striped with white. 

Breast, Thighs, and Fluff— Pale buff. 

Tail — Rich light cinnamon, or rich bright 
cinnamon, mixed with white. 

Legs — Bright yellow, with feathers of a pale 
buff color. 

COLOR OF HEN. 

Comb, Face, Deaf-ear, and Wattles— Brilliant 

red. 
Hackle — Rich deep crimson or chocolate. 
Remainder of tlie Plumage — Pale buff; the 

more uniform and even in color the better. 
Legs — Bright yellow ; feathers same color as 

body feathers/ 



CINNAMON COCHINS. 

COLOR OF COCK. 

Comb, Face, Deaf -ear and Wattles — Brilliant 
red. 

Head, Hackle, Back, Wings, and Saddle— Rich 
dark reddish cinnamon ; the more uniform 
and even in color the better. 

Breast, Thighs, and Fluff— The color of wet- 
ted cinnamon. 

Tail— Rich bronzy black, the lesser coverts 
edged with very dark reddish cinnamon. 

Legs— Bright yellow ; with feathers color of 
the breast feathers. 

COLOR OF HEN. 

Comb, Face, Deaf-ear, and Wattles — Brilliant 
red. 

13 



Plumage — The color of wetted cinnamon or 
deep chocolate throughout; the more uni- 
form in color and free from being mottled 
the better. 

Legs — Bright yellow, with feather same color 
as body feathers. 

Value of Points in Buff, Lemon, Silver Buff, 
Silver Cinnamon and Cinnamon Cochins. 

Size 3 

Color 4 

Head and Comb 1 

Carriage of Wings 1 

Legs 1 

Fluff 1 

General Symmetry 2 

Condition 2 

15 

Disqualification in Buff, Lemon, Silver Buff, 
Silver Cinnamon and Cinnamon Cochins. 
Birds not matching in the pen, or with 
primary wing feathers, twisted or turned 
outside the wing, twisted combs, crooked 
backs, birds without feathers on the legs, or 
legs of any other color than yellow. 



GROUSE OR PARTRIDGE COCHINS. 

COLOR OF COCK. 

Comb, Face, Deaf -ear, and Wattles — Rich 

brilliant red. 
Head — Rich red. 
Hackle— Rich bright red, with a rich black 

stripe down the middle of each feather. 
Back and Shoulder Coverts— Rich dark red. 
Wing Bow — Rich dark red. 
" Greater and Lesser Coverts — Metallic 
greenish black, forming a wide bar 
across the wings. 
" Primary Quills — Bay on outside web, 

dark on inside web. 
" Secondary Quills — Rich bay on the out- 
side web, black on tlie inner web, 
with a metallic black end to each 
feather. 
Saddle — Rich bright red, with a black stripe 

clown 'the middle of each feather. 
Breast, Under part of Body , and Thigte — Rich 

deep black. 
Tail — Glossy black (white at the base of the 
feathers objectionable, but not a disquali- 
fication.) 



194 



Legs— Dusky yellow, with black feathers. 



GROUSE COCHINS. 

COLOR OP HEN. 

Comb, Face, Deaf -ear, and Wattles— Brilliant 

red. 
Head — Rich brown. 
Neck — Rich reddish gold color, with a broad 

black stripe down the middle of the 

feathers. 
Legs — Dusky yellow, with feathers same 
color aa body feathers. 



PARTRIDGE COCHINS. 

COLOR OF HEN. 

Oomb. Face, Deaf-ear, and Wattles — Brilliant 
red. 

Neck — Bright gold color on the edge of the 
feathers, with a broad black stripe down 
the middle. 

Remainder of tfie Plumage— Light brown 
distinctly penciled with dark brown ; the 
penciling to reach well up the front of 
the breast. The shaft of the feathers on 
the back, shoulder coverts, bow of the 
wing, and sides, creamy wbite. 

Remainder of the Plumage — Rich brown 
distinctly penciled with darker brown ; the 
penciling reaching well up the front of the 
breast, and following the outline of the 
feathers. 

Legs— Dusky yellow, with brown featbers. 

Points in Grouse and Partridge Cochins. 

Size 3 

Black Breast, Thighs, Fluff, ] 
and Leg feathers in the 

Cock 1-2 

Breast of the Hen. Distinctly 

penciled up the front J 

Color of the remaining... |g 

plumage ) 

Head and Comb 1 

Carriage of Wings 1 

Legs 1 

Fluff. 1 

Symmetry 2 

Condition 2 

15 

Disqualifications in Grouse or Partridge 
Cochins. 
Birds not matching in the pen — cocks 



with mottled breasts, hens with pale buff or 
clay breasts without penciling, twisted 
combs, flight feathers turned outside the 
wing, crooked back ; absence of featbers on 
the legs. 



WHITE COCHINS. 

COLOR OF COCK AND HEN. 

Comb, Face, Deaf-ear, and Wattles — Brilliant 

red. 
Plumage — Pure wbite tbrougbout. The 

cock as free from yellow tinge as possible. 
Legs — Bright yellow. 



BLACK COCHINS. 

COLOR OF COCK AND HEN. 

Comb, Face, Deaf-ear, and Wattles — Brilliant 

red. 
Plumage — Perfectly black throughout. The 

cock as free from coppery red or brassy 

color as possible. 
Legs — Dark, with yellow tinge and black 

feathers. 

Points in White or Black Cochins. 

Size 8 

Color of Plumage — Purity of 
white in the whites, and 
richness of black in the 

blacks 4 

Head and Comb 1 

Carriage of Wings 1 

Legs 1 

Fluff 1 

Symmetry 2 

Condition 2 

15 

Disqualifications in White or Black Cochins. 
Twisted combs, crooked backs, flight 
feathers turned outside the wing. Birds not 
feathered on the legs, scales on the legs of 
the whites either green or willow. 



BRAHMAS. 
GENERAL SHAPE. 

THE COCK. 

Beak — Very strong, taper and well curved. 

Comb — Pea, small, low in front and firm on 

the head without falling over to either 



APPENDIX. 



195 



side, distinctly divided so as to Lave the 
appearance of three small combs joined 
together in the lower part and back, the 
largest in the middle, each part slightly 
ami evenly serrated. 

Head— Small and slender. 

Eye — Prominent and bright. 

Deaf-ear — Large and pendant. 

Wattles— Small, well rounded on the lower 
edge. 

Neck — Long, neatly curved, slender near the 
head, the juncture very distinct, hackle 
full and abundant, flowing well over the 
shoulders. 

Breast— Very full, broad, and round ; carried 
well forward. 

Back — Short, broad, flat betwixt the shoul- 
ders, saddle feathers very abundant. 

Wings — Small ; the primaries doubled well 
under the secondaries, the points covered 
by the saddle feathers. 

Tail — Small ; carried very upright, the 
higher feathers spreading out laterally. 

Tail Coverts— Broad, very abundant, soft, and 
curved over the tail. 

Thighs— Very large and strong ; abundantly 
covered with very soft fluffy feathers, 
curving inward round the hock so as to hide 
the joint from view. Vulture hocks are 
objectionable, but not a disqualification. 

Fluff— Very abundant and soft, covering the 
hind parts, and standing out about the 
thighs, giving the bird a very broad and 
deep appearance behind. 

Legs — Rather short, strong, and bony ; stand- 
ing well apart, very abundantly feathered 
down the outside to the end of the toes. 

Toes— Straight and strong; the outer and 
middle toe being abundantly feathered. 

Carriage — Very upright and strutting. 



Beak — Strong, curved, and taper. 

Comb — Pea, very small and low, placed in 
front of the head, and having the appear- 
ance of three very small serrated combs 
pressed together, the largest in the middle. 

Head— Small and slender. 

Eye — Prominent and bright. 

Deaf-ear — Large and pendant. 

Wattles — Small, rounded on the lower edge. 

Neck— Rather short, neatly curved, slender 



near the head, the juncture very distinct, 
full and broad in the lower part; the 
feathers reaching well on to the shoulders. 

Breast—Very deep, round, broad, and promi- 
nent. 

Back — Broad and short ; the feathers of the 
neck reaching to betwixt the shoulders, 
and abundance of soft, broad feathers ris- 
ing to the tail. 

Wings — Small; the bow covered by the 
breast feathers, the primaries doubled well 
under the secondaries, the points of the 
wings clipped well into the abundance of 
soft feathers and fluff. 

Tail— Small ; very upright, almost buried in 
the soft rump feathers. 

Thighs— Strong and well covered with very 
soft feathers, curving round the hock so as 
to hide the joint from view. Vulture 
hocks are objectionable, but not a disquali- 
fication. 

Fluff—Very abundant and soft, standing out 
about the hind part and thighs, giving the 
bird a very broad and deep appearance 
behind. 

Legs — Short, very strong, wide apart, abun- 
dantly feathered on the outside to the toes. 

Toes— Straight and strong, the outer and 
middle toe being well feathered. 

Carriage — Low in comparison to the cock. 



PENCILED BRAHMAS. 

COLOR OF COCK. 

Comb, Face, Deaf -ear, and Wattles — Bright red. 

Head— White. 

Neck, Hackle — Silvery white, striped with 

black. 
Breast, Uhderpart of Body, and Tliighs— 

Black, slightly mottled with white. 
Back and Shoulder Coverts — Silvery white. 
Saddle— Silvery white, striped with black. 
Wing Bow — Silvery white. 
" Greater and Lesser Wing Coverts — Me- 
tallic green black, forming a wide 
well-defined bar across the wing. 
" Secondaries — White on the outside web, 
black on the inside web, large green 
black spot on the end of the feather. 
" Primaries — Narrow edging of white on 
the outside web, black on the inside 
web. 



APPENDIX. 



Tail— B\ack. 

Tail Coverts — Rich green black, lesser 

coverts edged with white. 
Legs— Scales yellow, feathers black, mottled 

with white. 

COLOR OF HEN. 

Comb, Face, Deaf -ear, and Wattles — Rich 
bright red. 

Head— Gray. 

Neck— Silvery white, striped with black. 

Remainder of the Plumage — Dull white, 
minutely and distinctly penciled through- 
out with dark penciling, so close as al- 
most to cover the ground color, the pen- 
ciling reaching well up the front of the 
breast. 

Legs— Scales yellow, with a dusky shade. 



LIGHT BRAHMAS. 

COLOR OP COCK. 

Comb, Face, Deaf -ear, and Wattles — Rich 

bright red. 
Head— White. 
Neck— White with a distinct black stripe 

down the center of the feather. 
Breast, Underpart of Body and Thighs — 

White. 
Back and Shoulder Coverts — White. 
Saddle — White, striped with black. 
Wing Boio and Coverts — White. 

" Primaries — Black. 

" Secondaries- -White on outside web, 
black on inside web. 
Tail— Black. 
Tail Coverts — Glossy green black ; lesser 

coverts silvered on the edge. 
Legs— Scales bright yellow ; feathers white, 

slightly mottled with black. 

COLOR OP HEN. 

Comb, Face, Deaf ear, and Wattles — Bright 
red. 

Head— White. 

Week — White, distinctly striped down the 
middle of each feather with rich black. 

Breast arid Lack— White. 

Wing — White, the primaries alone being 
black. 

Tail — Black, the two highest or deck-feath- 
ers edged with white, 

Thiglis and i^if— White. 



Legs— Bright rich yellow; feathers white, 
slightly mottled with black. 

Points in Brahmas. 

Size 3 

Color 4 

Head and Comb 1 

Wings, primaries well tucked 

under secondaries 1 

Legs and featherings of ditto 1 

Fluff 1 

Symmetry 2 

Condition 2 

15 

Disqualifications. 
Birds not matching in the pen, combs not 
uniform in the pen, or falling over to one 
side, crooked backs, legs not feathered to 
the toes, or of any other color except yel- 
low, or dusky yellow. 

♦-♦-♦ 

MALAYS. 
GENERAL SHAPE. 

THE COCK. 

Beak — Very strong and curved. 

Comb— Small, placed quite in front of the 
head, low and flat, covered over with 
very small warty indentations. 

Head — Long, flat on the top, projecting over 
the eyes. 

Eye — Bright, sunk beneath a projecting eye- 
brow, the eyelids pearled round the edge. 

Face — Very naked and skinny, with a harsh 
cruel expression. 

Wattles — Very small, mere folds of the 
naked skin of the throat. 

Throat — Very skinny, and quite destitute ot 
feathers. 

Neck — Very long, slightly curved, rapidly 
slanting from the head ; the hackle very 
hard, short, and scanty, particularly in 
the lower part. 

Back — Veiy long, slightly curved, and rap- 
idly slanting from the shoulders to the 
tail, the shoulder coverts and saddle feath- 
ers very short and hard. 

Body — Long and round, the feathers on the 
lower part very short, giving the bird a 
cut out appearance. 

Wings — Very strong, projecting out promi- 
nently from the body even when closed. 



197 



Breast — Very deep. 

Tail — Small, drooping, sickle and tail cov- 
erts slightly curved. (The neck, back, 
and tail forming three slight nearly equal 
curves.) 

ThigJis — Very long, round, strong and up- 
right, the feathers very hard, short, and 
close, the hock joint being bare. 

Legs — Very long, strong, round, straight 
and clean, perfectly free from feathers. 

Toes — Very long, straight, strong, and pow- 
erful. 

Plumage— Very hard, short, close and glossy. 

Carriage — Very upright, and tall. 

THE HEN. 

Beak — Very strong and curved. 

Comb — Very small, low, and flat, placed on 
the front of the head, covered over with 
small warty indentations. 

Head — Long, very snaky, and flat on the top. 

Eye— Bright, sunk beneath a projecting eye- 
brow, eyelids pearled round the edge. 

Face — Very naked and skinny, with a cruel 
expression. 

Wattles— Mere folds of the naked skin and 
throat. 

Throat— Quite naked and very skinny. 

Neck — Very long, rapidly slanting from the 
head ; neck feathers very hard, short, and 
close, particularly in the lower part. 

Back — Long, rapidly slanting in the tail, 
shoulder coverts very short. 

Body — Long and round, narrow at the inser- 
tion of the tail. 

Breast — Very deep. 

Wings — Very strong, projecting very promi- 
nently from the body when closed. 

Tail — Small, and carried upright. 

Thighs — Very long, strong, and upright; 
feathers very close and short, the hock 
joint being nearly naked. 

Legs— Very long, clean, straight, round and 
strong. 

Toes — Long, powerful, straight and strong. 

Plumage— Very short, hard, close and glossy. 

Carriage— -Very upright. 

COLOR OF MALAY COCK. 

Beak— Yellow. 

Comb, Face and naked skin of the Throat— 
Rich bright red. 



Eyes— Bright fiery red. 

Head and Neck— Rich glossy dark red. 

Back and SJwulder Coverts — Glossy reddish 

maroon. 
Breast— Black, slightly mottled with reddish 

brown. 
Wing Bow — Glossy reddish maroon. 

" Coverts — Rich metallic greenish or 
bluish black, forming a wide bar 
across the wing. 
Wing flights— Rich dark red. 
Saddle — Rich glossy dark red. 
Tail— Rich Green black. 
ThigJis— Rich black, slightly mottled with 

reddish brown. 
Legs — Bright rich yellow. 

COLOR OF MALAY HEN. 

Beak— Yellow. 

Comb, Face, and Throat— Bright red. 

Eyes— Bright fiery red. 

Head — Reddish brown. 

Neck— Rich glossy reddish brown. 

Back and Shoulder Coverts — Rich glossy red« 
dish brown or cinnamon. 

Breast and Thighs— Reddish brown or cin- 
namon. 

Wings— Rich glossy reddish brown or cin- 
namon. 

Tail — Rich dark reddish brown. 

Legs— Bright rich yellow. 



WHITE MALAYS. 

Comb, Face, and Naked skin on tJie Tliroat — 

Bright red. 
Beak — Bright rich yellow. 
Plumage — Pure white throughout. 
Legs — Bright rich yellow, yellowish willow 

permissible. 

Points in Malays. 

Hight 3 

Shortness, hardness, and 

closeness of plumage 3 

Head.. 1 

Color 3 

Symmetry 3 

Condition 2 

15 

Disqualifications in Malays. 
Birds not matching in the pen; in the 



198 



dark birds legs of any other color except 
yellow. 



DORKINGS. 
GENERAL SHAPE. 

THE COCK. 

Beak — Rather short and stout. 

Comb — Either single or rose ; if single, erect, 
straight, serrated, free from side-sprigs ; 
if rose-combed, square in front, straight 
on the head, without hollow in the mid- 
dle, large peak behind, inclining very 
slightly upwards. 

Head — Neat. 

Wattles — Broad, stout, rounded on the lower 
edge. 

Neck — Very taper and well hackled. 

Breast — Very deep, broad and full. Breast- 
bone long. 

Body — Large, deep, compact, and plump, 
the back, belly, breast, and behind, al- 
most forming a square. 

Back — Very broad. 

Wings — Large. 

Tail — Very large, expanded, feathers broad 
and carried well up. 

Sickle Featliers and Tail Coverts — Long, 
broad, sound and well arched. 

T/dghs — Short, stout and straight. 

Legs — Straight, short, stout, clean, and per- 
fectly free from feathers, spurred on the 
inside. 

Feet — Five-toed, the extra or supernumerary 
toe well-developed, distinctly separated 
from the others, and pointing upwards. 

Carriage and Appearance — Noble, bulky and 
grand. 



Bsak — Rather short. 

Comb — If single, to be well developed, and 
falling over one side of the face ; if rose, 
square in front, straight on the head, peak 
behind, inclining slightly upwards. 

Wattles — Broad, rounded on the lower edge. 

Head — Neat. 

Neck — Short and taper. 

Breast — Very deep, broad, and full. 

Body — Large, compact, plump, and deep. 

Back — Broad. 



Wings — Large. 

Tail— Large, expanded, the feathers broad. 

Thighs — Short and stout. 

Legs — Short, straight, thick, and strong. 

Feet — Five-toed, the extra toe well devel- 
oped, distinctly separated from the others 
and inclining upwards. 

Carriage and Appearance— Bulky. 



SILVER GRAY DORKINGS. 

COLOR OP COCK. 

Head and Neck Hackle— Clear white. 
Comb, Face, and Wattles— Bright red. 
Breast, TJnderpart of Body , and TJiighs—Rxcli 

glossy black. 
Back and Shoulder Coverts — Silvery white. 
Saddle — Clear white. 
Wing Bow — Silvery .white. 
" Coverts — Metallic green black, form- 
ing a wide bar across the wing. 
" Primaries — White on the outside edge 
of the outer web, black on the in- 
side web. 
" Secondaries — Clear white on the outside 
web, black on the inside web, and 
also on the end of the feather. 
Tail— Rich black. 

Sickle Featliers — Rich metallic green black. 
Tail Coverts — Rich metallic green black, the 

lesser ones silvered on the edge. 
Legs — White, with a flesh-colored tinge be- 
twixt the scales. 

COLOR OF HEN. 

Head — Silvery or ashy gray. 

Comb, Face, and Wattles — Bright red. 

Neck — Silvery white, striped with black. 

Breast — Salmon red, shading off to gray to- 
wards the thighs. 

Back and Shoulder Coverts — Silvery or slaty 
gray, free from dark bars or marks across 
the feathers, shaft of feathers white. 

Wing Bow — Silvery or slaty gray, shaft of 
feathers white. Any tendency to red on 
the wings is highly objectionable. 

Coverts and F/ig7tts—S)nty gray. 

Tail— Dark gray, inside approaching black. 

Thighs— Ashy gray. 

Leys— White, with a flesh colored tinge be- 
twixt the scales. 



APPENDIX. 



lOf 



Points in Silver Gray Dorkings. 

Size 3 

Color 3 

Head and Comb 2 

Legs, Feel, and toes 2 

Symmetry- 3 

Condition 2 

15 

Disqualifications. 
Birds without the fifth toe, or with crooked 
backs, wry tails, combs not uniform in the 
pen, white in cock's breast or tail, legs of 
any color except white. 



COLORED DORKINGS. 
The color in these not material, providing 
the birds match in the pen. 

Points in Colored Dorkings. 

Size 5 

Head and Comb 2 

Legs, Feet, and Toes 2 

Symmetry 4 

Condition 2 

15 

Disqualifications. 

Birds without the fifth toe, or with crook- 
ed backs, wry tails, combs not matching in 
the pen, legs of any other color except 
white. 



WHITE DORKINGS. 

Comb, Face, and Wattles— Rich red. 

The whole of the plumage in both cock 
and hen pure white, the more free from yel- 
low tinge the better. 
Legs — White. 

Points in White Dorkings. 

Size 4 

Purity of White Plumage. . . 2 

Head and Comb 2 

Legs, Feet, and Toes 2 

Symmetry 3 

Condition 2 

15 

Disqualifications. 
Birds without the fifth toe, or with crook- 



ed backs or wry tails, combs not uniform in 
the pen, colored feathers in any part of the 
plumage. 

♦-♦-♦ ■ 

SPANISH. 
GENERAL SHAPE. 

THE COCK. 

Beak — Dark horn color, rather long and 
stout. 

Comb — Bright red, large, single, stiff, erect, 
straight, free from twists in front or falling 
over to either side at the back, deeply ser- 
rated, rising from the beak betwixt the 
fore part of the nostrils, and extending in 
an arched form over the back of the head, 
free from excrescences or side-sprigs, and 
not of too great thickness at the edge. 

Head — Long, broad, and deep-sided. 

Eyes — Large, the sight perfectly free, and 
not obstructed by the white. 

Face— Pure opaque white, long and deep, 
the greater breadth of surface the better, 
providing it is smooth, free from wrinkles, 
and the sight not obstructed, rising well 
over the eye towards the comb in an 
arched form, extending towards the back 
of the head, and also to the base of the 
beak, covering the cheeks, and joining the 
ear-lobes and wattles. 

Ear-lobes — Pure opaque white, very large 
and pendant, rather thin, smooth, well ex- 
panded and free from folds or wrinkles, 
extending well on each side of the neck, 
hanging down very, low, not pointed, but 
regularly rounded in the lower part, and 
meeting in front, behind the wattles. 

Wattles — Bright red ; very long, thin, ribbon- 
like, and pendulous ; the inside of the 
upper part, and skin betwixt, white. 

Neck — Long, well hackled. 

Breast — Round, full, and prominent. 

Back — Slanting down to the tail. 

Body — Wedge-shaped, narrowing- to the tail. 

Wings — Large, carried well up to the body. 

Tail — Large, expanded and rather upright, 
but not carried over the back, or squirrel 
tailed. 

Sickle Feathers — Large and well curved. 

Thighs— Long and slender. 

Legs— Long, dark leaden blue, or blue. 

Plumage — Rich glossy black, having a me- 



•200 



tallic green luster on the hackle, back, 
wings, saddle, tail coverts, and sickle 
feathers. 
Carriage — Upright and striking. 

Disqualifications in Spanish Cocks. 

Comb — Falling over to one side, or twisted 
in front over the nostrils. 

Face — So puffy as to obstruct the sight ; de- 
cided red mark above the eye. 

Plumage — Of any other color except black, 
or metallic green black. 

Legs,— Of any other color except dark leaden 
blue, or blue. 



Beak — Dark horn color, long. 

Comb — Glossy bright red, large, single ser- 
rated, drooping over to one side of the 
face, free from side-sprigs or duplicature. 

Head — Long and deep. 

Byes — Large. 

Face — Pure opaque white, smooth and free 
from wrinkles, with great breadth of sur- 
face, rising well over the eye in an arched 
form, extending well towards the back of 
the head, and also to the beak, covering 
the cheek, and joining the ear-lobes and 
wattles. 

Ear-lobes — Pure opaque white, large,pendant, 
smooth, well expanded, free from wrinkles, 
regularly rounded on the lower edge. 

Wattles — Bright red, thin, pendant, and 
rounded on the lower edge. 

Neck — Long and graceful. 

Breast — Round and full. 

Back— Slanting down to the tail. 

Wings — Ample, carried close up to the body. 

Tail — Large, carried rather upright, but not 
over the back, the two highest feathers 
slightly curved, especially in pullets. 

Thighs — Long and slender. 

Legs — Long, dark leaden blue, or blue. 

Plumage— Black, with a rich metallic luster 
on the back and wings. 

Disqualifications in Spanish Hens. 

Duplicature of comb, comb small and 
erect (prick-combed); decided red mark 
over the eye; plumage of any other color 
except black, or metallic black ; legs of any 
other color except dark leaden blue, or blue ; 



birds that are trimmed in any part what- 
ever. 

Points in Spanish Fowl. 

Comb •.. 2 

Face 3 

Ear-lobe 3 

Purity of White, Face and 

Ear-lobe 2 

Symmetry 3 

Condition of Plumage 2 

15 

Carriage — Upright, movement quick. 
*-♦-♦ 

GAME. 
GENERAL SHAPE. 

THE COCK. 

Beak — Strong, curved, very stout at the 
base. 

Comb— In a chicken that has not been 
dubbed, single, small and thin, low in 
front, serrated, erect, and straight; in 
older birds, neatly dubbed, smooth, and 
free from warty appearances, small feath- 
ers or ridges on the edges. 

Head— Long, thin, and taper, very strong at 
the juncture with the neck. 

Eyes — Large, bright, and prominent, per- 
fectly alike in color, with a quick, fearless 
expression. 

Face and Throat — Lean and thin. 

Neck — Rather long and neatly arched, hackle 
short and very close. 

Back — Rather short, fiat, broad across the 
shoulders and narrowing to the tail. 

Breast — Broad, round, and full. 

Stern — Slender and very neat, saddle feathers 
very short and close. 

Wings — Strong, long, and very powerful ; 
the butts and shoulder part slightly raised, 
as if for a sudden spring, the remainder of 
the wings not drooping, but carried neatly 
and compactly to the sides, passing over 
the upper part of the thighs, the points 
resting under the saddle feathers. 

Tail — Rather long, the feathers very sound 
and not too broad, carried well together, 
and not spread out, scattered or loose. 

Sickle Feathers and Tail Coverts — Perfectly 
sound, narrow, hard and wiry, not hang- 
ing loosely, well carried and neatly curvi d ; 



APPENDIX. 



201 



the whole of the tail going backwards and 
not upright over the back, or squirrel- 
tailed. 
Thighs— Round, stout, hard, and firm, rather 
short in proportion to the shank, placed 
well up towards the shoulders, and covered 
with very close short feathers, so as to 
have a velvety appearance. 

Legs — Rather long, strong, bony, clean, 
standing well and evenly apart ; the spurs 
set on low ; the scales close and smooth. 

Feet— Broad, flat, and thin; toes long, 
spreading, and straight, well furnished 
with strong nails, with the hind toe set low 
on the foot, standing well backwards and 
flat on the ground, not merely touching 
with the point of the toe, or duck-footed. 

Plumage — Close, sleek, and glossy, body 
feathers short, hard and firm, quills very 
strong. 

Body in hand — Very muscular, and firm, not 
soft or hollow on the sides, perfectly 
straight in the breast and back, and quite 
even in the hip bones. 

Carriage — Upright, active and quick. 

THE HEN. 

Beak — Long, slightly curved, sharp at the 
point, and stout at the base. 

Comb— Single, small, and thin, low in front, 
evenly serrated, perfectly erect and 
straight. 

Head — Long, slender, very neat and taper. 

Eyes — Bright, large, and prominent, per- 
fectly alike in color, with a quick and fiery 
expression. 

Face — Lean and thin. 

Deaf-ear — Very small, and close to the face. 

Wattles— Small, thin, and neatly rounded on 
the edge. 

Throat — Neat, the feathers very short and 
close. 

Neck — Long, feathers very short, giving the 
neck a slender and very graceful appear- 
ance. 

Back— Moderate in length, perfectly flat and 
broad across the shoulders, and narrowing 
to the tail. 

Wings—Long and powerful, the butts and 
shoulders carried rather high, so as to 
cause a perfectly flat back, the points not 
drooping, but carried compactly to the 
sides. 



Tail — Moderate in length, not carried over 

the back, hut extending backwards; the 

feathers not scattered or spread out, hut 

held neatly together. 
Breast — Broad, round, and prominent. 
Thiglis — Stout, round, and neat, the feathers 

short and very close. 
Legs — Long, very bony, clean, and taper, 

the scales narrow, smooth, close, and 

neat. 
Feet — Broad, flat, and thin; toes spreading, 

long and straight, well furnished with 

strong nails, the hind toe set low on the 

foot, standing well backwards, and not 

duck-footed. 
Plumage — Very close, sleek, and glossy; 

body feathers short, hard and firm, quills 

strong. 
Carriage — Rather upright, very neat, quick, 

and active. 



BLACK-BREASTED RED GAME. 

COLOR OP COCK. 

Head — Very rich dark red. 

Comh, Face, and Jaws — Very bright red. 

Eyes — Bright, clear, deep bay. 

Neck Hackle — Rich red, free from black or 

dark stripes. 
Back, Slwulder, and Shoulder Coverts— Rich 

dark red. 
Wing Butts — Black. 
" Bow — Rich dark red, perfectly free 

from black feathers. 
" Greater and Lesser Coverts — Metallic 
green black, forming a wide bar 
across the wing, perfectly even, well 
defined, and not irregular on the 
edges. 
'" Primaries — Bay on the outside web, 

black on the inside. 
" Secondaries — Rich clear bright bay on 
the outside web, black on the in- 
side web, with a rich metallic green 
black spot on the end of the 
feather. 
Saddle— Rich red. 
Tail— Rich black. 
Sickle Featliers and Tail Coverts — Very rich 

metallic green black. 
Breast, Underpartofbody, and Thighs— Rich 



202 



APPENDIX. 



black, perfectly free from any admixture 
of red or other color. 
Legs— Either willow, olive, yellow, white, 
or hlue. The colors preferred in the order 
in which they are named. 



•Very 



COLOR OF HEN. 

Head — Brown. 

Comb, Face, Deaf-ear, and Wattles 

bright red. 
Neck— Light brownish yellow, striped with 

black. 
Back and Shoulder Coverts — Brown. 
Wing, Bow, Shoulder, and Coverts — Same 
color as back, perfectly free from 
red. 

" Primaries and Secondaries — Brown. 
Tail — Dark brown, approaching black. 
Breast — Deep salmon, shading off to ashy 

brown towards the thighs. 
Thighs — Ashy brown. 
Legs — To match those of the cock. 



BROWN RED GAME. 

COLOR OF COCK. 

Head — Very dark red. 

Comb, Face, and Jaws — Bright red or dark 

purple (gipsy-faced.) 
Eyes— Dark brown or black. 
Neck Hackle — Dark red, shaft of feathers 

black. 
Back and Shoulder Coverts— Dark crimson 

red. 
Saddle — Dark red, shaft of feathers black. 
Wing, Butts — Black or very dark dusky 
brown. 

" Shoulder and Bow—Dvl\& crimson red. 

" Coverts — Rich glossy black 

" Primaries — Dusky black. 

" Secondaries— Black, with a metallic 
luster towards the end of the feath- 
ers. 
Tail— Black. 
Sickle Featliers and Tail Coverts — Rich glossy 

black. 
Breast— Reddish brown streaked with black, 

shaft of feathers black ; the ground color 

becoming darker as it approaches the 

lower part and thighs. 



Thighs — Dusky black. 

Legs — Olive bronzy black, or dark willow. 



COLOR OF HEN. 

Head — Dark dusky brown, approaching a 

dusky black. 
Comb, Face, Deaf -ear, and Wattles— Bright 

red or dark purple. 
Eyes — Very dark brown or black. 
Neck — Coppery yellow, striped with black. 
Remainder of the Plumage — Very dark 

brown, approaching to black. 
Legs — To match those of the cock. 



GINGER RED GAME. 

COLOR OF COCK. 

Head— Red. 

Face and Jaws — Reddish purple. 

Eyes — Brown. 

Neck Hackle— Rich clear red. 

Back, Shoulder Coverts and Bow of the Wings, 

Rich red. 
Wing — Primaries and secondaries brownish 

red. 
Saddle — Rich clear red. 
Tail— Black. 
Sickle Feathers and Tail Coverts— Rich, black, 

the lesser coverts edged with red. 
Breast — Ginger red, becoming darker as it 

approaches the thighs. 
Thighs— Dusky red. 
Legs — Olive, bronzy black, or dark willow. 

COLOR OF HEN. 

Head — Yellowish brown. 

Comb, Face, Deaf-ear, and Wattles — Purple. 

Eyes— Brown, perfectly alike in color. 

Neck — Golden yellow, striped with black. 

Breast— Higher part towards the throat yel- 
lowish brown, shaft and a narrow 
margin of the feathers a much 
lighter shade. 
" Lower part and sides, dark dusky 
brown, with a narrow margin of 
the feathers of a golden ginger 
shade. 

Remainder of the Plumage — Yellowish 
brown, with a narrow margin of the 
feathers of a golden ginger shade. 

Legs— Same color as those of the cock. 



APPENDIX. 



208 



YELLOW DUCK- WING GAME. 

COLOR OF COCK. 

Head — Straw-colored yellow. 

Comb, Face, and Jaws— Bright red. 

Neck Hackle — Clear, straw color, free from 

black. 
Back, Shoulder Coverts, and Bow of tlie Wings, 
Rich, uniform, bright copper or maroon; 
the more even, clear, and unmixed in 
color the better. 
Wing Butts— Black. 
" Greater and Lesser Coverts — Steel blue, 
or metallic black, forming a wide 
bar across the wing. 
" Primaries — Straw white on the out- 
side web, dark on the inside web. 
" Secondaries — White on the outside 
web, black on the inside, and on the 
end of the feathers. 
Saddle — Clear straw color. 
Breast, Underpart of Body, and Tliighs — 

Rich black. 
Tail— Black. 

Sickle Feathers and Tail Coverts — Rich me- 
tallic green-black. 
Legs — Willow, yellow, or olive. 

COLOR OF HEN. 

Head— Gray. 

Comb, Face, Deaf -ear, and Wattles — Bright 

red. 
Neck— White, striped with black. 
Breast — Salmon red, shading off to ashy 

gray towards the thighs. 
Back and Shoulder Coverts — Bluish or slaty 

gray, shaft of feather white. 
Wing, Shoulder, and Boio— Slaty or bluish 

gray, shaft of feather white. Red or 

brown on the wing very objectionable. 
Tail Coverts and Flights— Slaty or bluish 

gray. 
Tail— Dark gray, the inside approaching 

black. 
Thiglis — Ashy gray. 
Legs — To match those of the cock. 



SILVER DUCK- WING GAME. 

COLOR OF COCK. 

Head— Silvery white. 

Face, Jaws, and Comb— Bright red. 



Neck— R-dckle clear white, without any 

mixture of black or otlier color. 
Breast, JJnderparts of Body, and Thiglis — 

Black. 
Back and Shoulder Coverts — Silvery white. 
Saddle — Clear white. 
Wing Butts — Black. 

" Bow— Silvery white. 

" Coverts— Steel blue, forming a wide 
bar across the wing. 

" Primaries — White on the outside web, 
dark on the inside web. 

" Secondaries — Clear white on the out- 
side web, black on the inside web, 
and on the end of the feathers. 
Tail— Black. 
Sickle Feathers and Tail Coverts — Metallic 

green-black; the lesser tail coverts slightly 

edged with white. 
Legs— Willow, olive, bronze, or blue. 

COLOR OF HEN. 

Head— Silvery gray. 

Comb, Face, Deaf -ear, and Wattles — Bright 

red. 
Neck — Silver, striped with black. 
Breast — Salmon. 
Back and Shoulder Coverts— Silvery or ashy 

gray, shaft of feather white. 
Wing Bow — Ashy gray, shaft of feather 
white. Red or brown on the wing 
very objectionable. 

" Flight and Coverts— Gray. 
Tail — Dark gray, approaching black. 
Thighs — Ashy gray. 
Legs— Ho match those of the cock. 



BIRCHEN YELLOW GAME. 

COLOR OF COCK. 

Head — Dark straw color. 

Face and Wattles — Either red or purple. 

Neck — Hackle, deep straw color, striped 

with reddish brown. 
Breast— Reddish brown, shaft and narrow 

margin of the feathers cream color. 
Back and Shoidder- Coverts — Rich coppery 

straw, marked with reddish brown. 
Saddle — Deep straw, striped with reddish 

brown. 
Wing Butts— Dull black. 



2G4 



APPENDIX. 



Wing Bow — Rich dark coppery straw, 
slightly marked with reddish brown. 
" Coverts — Cream color, mottled with 
reddish brown and tipped with 
chocolate. 
" Flight— Reddish brown. 
Tail— Black. 
Sickles — Bronzy black. 
Tail Coverts— Bronzy black, the lesser with 

a narrow margin of cream color. 
Legs — Bronzy black, olive, willow, or yellow. 

COLOR OF HEN. 

Head— Dark gray. 

Comb, Face, Deaf-ear, arid Wattles— Either 

red or purple. 
Neck — Gray, striped with dull black. 
Breast— Grayish brown, shaft and margin of 

feather creamy white. 
Back and SJwulder Coverts— Grayish brown, 

shaft of feather dull creamy white. 
Wing Bow — Grayish brown, shaft of feather 
dull creamy white. 

" Coverts— Grayish brown. 

" Flights— -Dark gray. 
Tail— Dark grayish brown. 
Thiglis— Grayish brown. 
Legs — To match those of the cock. 



PILE GAME. 



COLOR OF COCK. 



Head— Deep chestnut red. 

Comb, &c. — Rich bright red. 

Neck Hackle and Saddle— Eight chestnut 

red on the outside of the web of the 

feather; the middle of each feather white 

towards the end. 
Breast — Higher part marbled red and white, 

lower part white, or entirely white. 
Back, Shoulder Coverts and Bow of the Wings, 

Rich, uniform red. 
Greater and Lesser Wing Coverts— White, 

edged with red. 
Wing Secondaries— White on the outside web, 

red on the inside web, with a rich red spot 

on the end of the feather. 

" Primaries — White. 
Thighs— White. 
Tail— White. 
Legs— Yellow, willow, or white. 



COLOR OF HEN. 

Face, Deaf -ear, and Wattles— Bright 



red. 



Neck — Chestnut and white. 

Breast — Chestnut red on the front part, mot- 
tled with white on the lower part. 

Thighs and Tail— White. 

Remainder of the Plumage — White, mottled 
with light chestnut red. 

Legs — To match those of the cock. 



WHITE GAME. 

Comb, Face, Deaf-ear, and Wattles — Very 
bright red. The whole of the plumage 
clear white. The cock's plumage as free 
from yellow tinge as possible. 

Legs — Yellow or white. 



BLACK GAME. 

Comb, &c. — Bright red. 

The whole of the plumage glossy black, 
with a metallic luster on cock's hackle, back, 
saddle, wings, and tail. 
Legs — Bronzy black, dark olive, or leaden 

black. 

Points in Came. 

Shape of Head and neck. ... 2 

Body and wings 2 

Tail 2 

Thighs, Legs, and Toes 2 

Color of Plumage 3 

Symmetry, Handling 2 

Condition, and Hardness of 
plumage 2 

15 

Disqualifications. 

Color of legs, or plumage, not matching in 
the pen; crooked backs or breasts; adult 
cocks not dubbed. 



HAMBURGS. 
GENERAL SHAPE. 



Beak— Medium. 

Comb— Double, not so large as to overhang 
the eyes or beak, square in front, fitting 



APPENDIX 



90b 



close anil straight on the head without in- 
clining to either side, no hollow in the 
center, uniform on each side, the top 
covered over with small points, with a 
peak behind, inclining very slightly up- 
wards. 

Head— Rather short and small. 

Eye— Full and quick. 

Deaf-ear — Not pendant, but fitting close to 
the face, fiat, of medium size, round, and 
even on the surface. 

Wattles — Broad, thin, and well rounded on 
the lower edge. 

Neck — Taper, the higher part carried well 
over the back, hackle full, the lower part 
flowing well on to the shoulders. 

Breast — Round, full, and prominent, carried 
well forward. 

Back — Short, well furnished with saddle 
feathers. 

Wings — Ample, points carried rather low. 

Tail — Full, expanded, sickle feathers well 
curved. 

Thighs— Short and neat. 

Legs — Slender, rather short, very neat, and 
taper. 

Plumage — Rich and glossy. 

Carriage — Upright and strutting, graceful, 
quick, and restless. 



Beak — Rather small. 

Comb — Same shape as that of cock, but very 

much less ; smaller in the penciled than in 

the spangled varieties. 
Head — Small and very neat. 
Eye — Full and very quick. 
Deaf-ear— Small, flat, rounded in the lower 

part, fitting closely to the face, and not 

pendant. 
Wattles — Small and thin, rounded on the 

lower edge. 
Neck — Taper and very graceful. 
Breast — Broad, plump, and carried forward. 
Back — Rather short, but not so much so in 

appearance as in the cock. 
Wings — Ample, carried very neatly to the 

body. 
Tail— Full, expanded, and well carried. 
Thighs — Short and neat. 
Legs — Very slender, neat and taper. 
Plumage — Close and glossy. 



Carriage — Graceful, quick, and restless. 



GOLDEN PENCILED HAMBURGS. 

COLOR OP COCK. 

Comb, Face, and Wattles — Rich red. 

Deaf-ear — Pure opaque white, free from red 
on the edge. 

Head and Hackle — Clear reddish bay. 

Back, Saddle, Bow of the Wing, Shoulder and 
Wing Coverts — Rich deep reddish bay. 

Flight— Reddish bay on the outside web, 
black on the inside web. 

Secondaries— Reddish bay on the outside 
web, the inside web penciled across with 
broad black marks, each feather ending 
with a rich black spot. 

Breast and Thighs — Reddish bay. 

Tail— Black. 

Sickle Feathers and Tail Coverts — Rich 
black down the middle of the feather, the 
entire length edged with bronze, each 
bronze edge as near one-fourth the width 
of the feather as possible; the more dis- 
tinct the two colors the better. 

Legs — Slaty blue. 

COLOR OF HEN. 

Comb. Face, and Wattles — Rich red. 

Deaf -ear — Pure opaque white, free from red 
on the edge. 

Head and Neck — Clear deep golden bay. 

Remainder of tlie Plumage — Clear deep 
golden bay, free from either lacing or 
mossing; each feather (including tail 
feathers) distinctly penciled across with 
rich black; the penciling not to follow 
the outline of the feather, but to go straight 
across on each side of the shaft. The two 
colors distinct, Avell defined, and not 
shading into each other. 

Legs— Slaty blue. 



SILVER PENCILED HAMBURGS. 

The same standard will apply to the Sil- 
ver Penciled Hauibunrs, substituting a clear 
silvery white ground for a golden one. The 
silver cock as free as possible from yellow 
tinsre. 



208 



APPENDIX. 



PENCILED HAMBURGS. 

Points in Codes. 

Comb 3 

Deaf-ear 2 

Color of plumage, except tail, 
sickle feathers, and tail 

coverts 3 

Color of Tail, Sickle Feathers 

and Tail Coverts 3 

Symmetry., 2 

Condition 2 

15 

Points in Hem. 

Comb 2 

Deaf-ear 2 

Purity of Color in Head and 

Neck 3 

Purity of ground color, and 
accurate and distinct pen- 
ciling in every part, except 

head and neck 4 

Symmetry 2 

Condition 2 

15 

Disqualifications. 
Hen-feathered cocks, crooked backs, wry 
tails, combs single or falling over to one 
side, red deaf-ears, shanks of any other color 
except blue. 



GOLDEN-SPANGLED HAMBURGS. 

COLOR OP COCK. 

Comb, Face, and Wattles — Rich bright red. 

Deaf -ear — Opaque white. 

Head — Deep reddish bay. 

Hackle — Rich deep golden bay, eacb feather 
striped down the centre with rich green 
black, each color well defined, and not 
clouded. 

Breast, Underpart of Body, and TJiighs — 
Golden bay, free from mossing, streaking, 
or lacing, each feather ending with a 
round, large, rich black moon or spangle, 
the moons increasing in size in proportion 
to the size of the feather. 

Back and Shoulder Coverts — Rich deep red- 
dish bay, distinctly spangled with rich 
metallic black, the texture of the feather 
giving the spangle a starry or rayed ap- 
pearance. 



Saddle — Rich reddish golden bay, each 
feather stripped down the center with rich 
metallic green black. 
Wing Bow — Rich reddish golden bay, dis- 
tinctly spangled with black. 
" Bars — The greater and lesser wing 
coverts clear reddish golden bay, 
free from lacing, each feather end- 
ing with a large round green-black 
spangle, forming two distinct par- 
allel green-black bars across the 
wing. 
" Primaries — Bay, ending with a black 

spot. 
" Secondaries — Rich golden bay, each 
feather ending with a rich green- 
black spot. 
Tail— Black. 

Sickle Feathers and Tail Coverts — Rich green- 
black. 
Legs — Slaty blue. 

COLOR OP HEN. 

Comb, Face, and Wattles— Rich bright red. 

Deaf-ear — Opaque white. 

Head— Golden bay, distinctly tipped with 

black. 
Neck — Golden bay, each feather distinctly 
striped down the centre with rich green- 
black, the colors distinct and not clouded. 
Breast, Underpart of Body and Thighs — Clear 
golden bay, free from mossing or lacing, 
each feather ending with a distinct large, 
round, rich green-black moon or spangle, 
the moons increasing in size in proportion 
to the size of the feather. 
Back, Shoulder Coverts, and Rump — Rich 
clear golden bay, free from mossing or 
lacing, each feather ending with a dis- 
tinct large, round, rich green-black 
spangle. 
Wing Bow — Rich clear golden bay, each 
feather ending with a distinct round 
rich green-black spangle. 
" Bars — Greater and lesser wing coverts 
rich clear golden bay, free from 
lacing, each feather ending with a 
large, round, rich, green - black 
spangle, forming two distinct par- 
allel green-black bars across the 
wings. 



APPENDIX. 



201 



Wing Primaries— Golden bay, each feather 
ending with a black spangle. 
" Secondaries— Golden bay, each feather 
ending with a rich green-black half 
moon or erescent-shaped spangle, 
termed by the Lancashire fanciers, 
" lacing on the top of the wing 
above the flight." 
Tail— Black. 

Tail Coverts — Golden bay, free from mossing 
or lacing, eacli feather ending with a rich 
green-black spangle. 
Legs — Slaty blue. 

Hens in a pen to match as nearly as pos- 
sible in size of markings and depth of color. 



SILVER-SPANGLED HAMBURGS. 

COLOR OP COCK. 

Comb, Face, and Wattles — Rich bright red. 
Deaf-ear — Opaque white. 
Head — Silvery white. 

Hackle — Silvery white, free from yellow 
tinge, the longest feathers ending with a 
small black spangle. 
Breast, Underpart of Body and Thighs — 
Clear silvery white, free from lacing or 
mossing, each feather ending with a dis- 
tinct large, round, • rich black moon or 
spangle, the moons increasing in size in 
proportion to the size of the feather. 
Back and Shoulder Coverts — Pare white, free 
from yellow tinge, distinctly spangled 
with black, the texture of the feather 
giving the spangle a starry or rayed ap- 
pearance. 
Saddle— Silvery white, free from yellow, the 
largest feathers ending with a small black 
spangle. 
Wing Bow — Pure white, distinctly spangled 
with black spangles. 
" Bars — The greater and lesser . wing 
coverts clear silvery white, free 
from lacing, each feather ending in 
a large green-black moon or spangle, 
forming two distinct parallel black 
bars across the wing. 
" Primaries— Pure white, each feather 
ending with a distinct black span- 
gle. 
" Secondaries— Pure white, each feather 



ending in a half-moon shaped 
green-black spot. 
Jail — White on the outside, each feather 

ending in a large black spangle. 
Sickle Featliers and Tail Coverts — White, 
each feather ending with a rich green- 
black spangle. 
Legs — Slaty blue. 

COLOR OF HEN. 

Comb, Face, and Wattles — Rich bright red. 

Deaf-ear — Opaque white. 

Head — Silvery white, distinctly spangled 

with small black spangles. 
Neck — Clear silvery white, each feather dis- 
tinctly striped towards the end with rich 
black, each color well defined and not 
clouded. 
Breast, Underpart of Body, and Thighs — 
Clear silvery white, free from lacing or 
mossing, each feather ending with a dis- 
tinct large, round black moon or spangle, 
the moons increasing in size in proportion 
to the size of the feather. 
Back, Shoulder Coverts, and Rump — Clear 
silvery white, free from mossing or lacing, 
each feather ending with a distinct large, 
round, rich green-black moon or spangle. 
Wing-Bow— Clear silvery white, each feather 
ending with a distinct round, rich 
green-black spangle. 
" Bars— Greater and lesser wing coverts 
clear silvery white, free from lacing 
or mossing, each feather ending 
with a large round greenish-black 
spangle, forming two distinct paral- 
lel black bars across the wing. 
" Primaries — White, each feather ending 

with a distinct black spangle. 
" Secondaries — Clear silvery white, each 
feather ending with a large half- 
moon shaped green-black spangle, 
termed by the Lancashire fanciers 
" lacing on the top of the wing." 
Tail — White on the outside, each feather 
ending with a large round black spangle. 
Tail Coverts — Clear silvery white, free from 
mossing or lacing, each feather ending 
with a distinct large, round, green-black 
spangle. 
Legs — Slaty blue. 
Hens in a pen to match as nearly as pos- 



209 



APPENDIX. 



sibleinsize of markings and depth of color, 
&c. 

Points in Spangled Hamburg Cocks. 

Comb 2 

Deaf-ear 2 

Colors and Marking of Head, 
Hackle, Back, Saddle, and 

Tail 3 

Breast, Underparts of Body 

and Thighs 2 

Wings and Bars 2 

Symmetry 2 

Condition 2 

15 

Points in Spangled Hamburg Hens. 

Combs 2 

Deaf- ear 2 

Neck most distinctly and 

evenly striped 1 

Remainder of Plumage (ex- 
cept tail in Golden) clear- 
ness of groundcolor, even- 
ness and distinctness of 
spangling, with rich large 

round spangles 4 

Bars 2 

Symmetry 2 

Condition 2 

15 

Disqualifications. 

Hen-feathered cocks, crooked backs, wry 
tails, combs single, or falling over to one 
side, red deaf-ears, birds without distinct 
bars across the wing. Legs of any other 
color except blue. 



BLACK HAMBURGS. 

Comb, Face, and Wattles — Rich bright red, 
the face perfectly free from white. 

Deaf -ear — Pure opaque white; rouno and 
small, fitting close to the face ; not pendent. 

Plumage — Very rich glossy green-black. 

Legs — Blue or dark leaden blue. 

Points in Black Hamburgs. 

Comb, Head, and Face 3 

Deaf-ear 2 

Plumage 4 

Shape 4 

Condition 3 

15 



Disqualifications. 
Combs falling over to one side, or so large 
as to obstruct the sight, red deaf-ears, crook- 
ed backs, wry tails, or legs of any color ex- 
cept blue or dark leaden blue. 



POLISH. 
GENERAL SHAPE. 

THE COCK. 

Crest— Composed of feathers similar in tex- 
ture to the hackle, very large, round, 
close, and well fitted on the crown of the 
head, falling backwards, and rather lower 
on the sides than over the beak, but not so 
low on the sides as to prevent the bird 
from seeing. 

Head — With round protuberance on the 
top, concealed by the large crest. 

Eye— Large, full, and bright. 

Deaf-ear — Small, even on the surface, round- 
ed on the lower edge. 

Wattles — In the unbearded varieties, thin 
and pendulous; in the bearded varieties, 
none — the underside of the beak and 
throat being covered with a full, close, 
muffy beard. 

Neck— Medium in length, slightly and neatly 
curving over the back and well hackled. 

Breast— Deep, full, round, and carried prom- 
inently forward. 

Back— Perfectly straight, wide betwixt the 
shoulders, and tapering to the tail ; hip- 
bones even. 

Wings — Ample. 

Tail— Large, rather erect, expanded, and 
well adorned with sickle feathers. 

Thiglis— Short in the white-crested black, 
rather long in the spangled varieties. 

Legs— Rather short in the white-crested 
blacks, long in the spangled varieties. 

Carriage — Erec t. 

THE HEN. 

Crest— Very large, round, straight on the 
head, not inclining to either side, the sur- 
face close, firm, and even. 

Head— Round, the protuberance concealed 
by the crest. 

Eye— Large, full, and bright. 

Deaf-ear— Small, even on the surface, and 
rounded on the lower edge. 



APPENDIX. 



209 



Wattles— In the unbearded varieties, small 
and thin ; in the bearded varieties, none — 
the throat and underside of the beak be- 
ing covered with a full close beard. 

Neck— Rather short and taper. 

Breast— Very full, round, and prominent. 

Back— Straight, the hip-bones even. 

Wings — Ample. 

Tail — Large, expanded, and broad at the 
end. 

Thighs— Short, in the white-crested black, 
rather long in the spangled varieties. 

Legs — Clean, neat, and taper; short in the 
Avhite-crested blacks, rather long in the 
spaugled varieties. 

Carriage — Rather upright. 



WHITE-CRESTED BLACK POLISH. 

COLOR. 

Crest— Pure white ; the less black in front 

the better. 
Deaf-ear — Pare opaque white. 
Remainder of the Plumage — Uniformly 

rich glossy black. 
Legs — Leaden blue, or black. 

Points in White- Crested Black Polish. 

Size of Crest 3 

Shape of Crest 3 

Crest of the purest white, and 

most free from black 2 

Deaf-ear 1 

Richest black Plumage 2 

Symmetry 2 

Condition and General Ap- 
pearance 2 

15 

Disqualifications. 

Crooked backs, wry tails, white feathers 
in any part except the crest, legs of any 
other color except dark leaden blue, or 

blue. 

GOLDEN-SPANGLED POLISH. 

COLOR OF COCK. 

Crest— Golden bay, laced with black ; in 
adults, white feathers may appear. 

Hackle and Saddle— Golden bay, the end of 
eacli feather laced with black. 

14 



Breast — Clear golden bay, free from moss- 
ing, each feather ending with a round rich 
black spangle, the spangle increasing in 
size in proportion to the size of the feather. 

Back, Shoulder Coverts, and Bow of the Wing 
Rich golden bay, spangled with black, the 
texture of the feather giving the spangle a 
rayed appearance. 

Bars — Greater and lesser wing coverts, 
golden bay, each feather laced on the 
edge with black, and ending with a large 
black spangle, forming two distinct black 
bars across the wing. 

Primaries — Bay, ending with a black spot. 

Secondaries — Golden bay, with a distinct 
crescent-shaped green-black mark on the 
end of each feather. 

T/iigJis— Bay, spangled, with black. 

Tail — Rich golden bay, each feather ending 
with a rich black spot. 

Sickle Feathers— Rich golden bay, ending 
with a rich black spangle. 

Tail Coverts — Rich golden bay, edged with 
rich black, and ending with a rich black 
spangle. 

Legs — Blue. 

COLOR OP HEN. 

Crest — Golden bay, each feather laced with 
black ; in adults, white feathers may ap- 
pear. 

Neck — Golden bay, laced with black. 

Breast, Underparts, of Body and Thighs— Clear 
golden bay, free from mossing, each 
feather ending with a distinct round, rich, 
black spangle, the spangle increasing in 
size in proportion to the size of the feather. 

Back, and Shoulder Coverts— Golden bay, 
eacli feather ending with a distinct round 
black spangle. 

Wing Bow — Golden bay, each feather end- 
ing with a crescent-shaped black spangle. 

Wing Coverts — Golden bay, each feather 
laced or edged with black, and ending 
with a large black spangle, forming two 
distinct black bars across the wing. 

Primaries — Bay, each feather ending with a 
black spot. 

Secondaries — Golden bay, each feather end- 
ing witli a crescent-shaped black mark. 

Tail— Bay, each feather ending with a large 
black spangle. 

Legs — Blue. 



210 



APPENDIX. 



SILVER-SPANGLED POLISH. 

Color and marking the same as in Golden, 
substituting Silvery White Ground for 
Golden Bay. 

Points in Spangled PoUsh. 

Size of Crest 3 

Shape of do 3 

Color of do 1 

Plumage accurately marked 
according to the foregoing 

rules 2 

Purity of Ground Color 1 

Bars 1 

Symmetry 2 

Condition 2 

15 

Disqualifications. 

Crooked Backs, wry tails, legs of any 
other color except blue. 



SULTANS. 



THE COCK. 



Comb — Composed of hackle feathers, full, 
and arched over the eyes, and round 
head, full in center, and falling softly and 
evenly round at back, not straight and 
stiff as in Polish ; the front free from 
feathers falling forward, and neatly arched 
at both sides. 

Beak — Brilliant white, tinged with red at 
base, very curved, and with broad cavern- 
ous nostrils. 

Comb— Invisible, or two small spikes, bril- 
liantly red. 

Muffling — Thick and close round the throat, 
meeting the crest, and covering the face. 

Eye— Bright, vivacious, and intelligent. 

Wattles — Small and rather shriveled. 

Neck — Rather short, carried well back, very 
arched, and very thickly hackled, 

Breast — Deep, full, round, and carried well 
forward. 

Body—Vevy square, deep, and carried low. 

Back — Straight, and rather broad. 

Wings — Ample, and carried down. 

Tail — Large, erect, and well sicklod. 

Tliighs — Very short and well feathered. 

Legs— Very short, feathered to the toes, with 
full, long vulture hocks. 



Toes — Straight, five in number. 
Color of Plumage — Brilliantly white through- 
out. 
Carriage— R&WieY low, brisk, and vivacious. 

THE HEN. 

Crest — Full, round, close, and globular. 

Eye— Bright and intelligent. 

Muffling— -Very thick and close round the 
throat, going well back, covering the face 
and meeting the crest. 

Beak— Curved, clear, transparent white. 

Neck — Short, fully arched, and very thickly 
feathered, carried well back. 

Breast— Full, deep, and prominent. 

Back — Straight and broad. 

Body — Very square, and carried low and 
forward. 

Wings— Full, and carried low. 

Tail — Large, erect, and well expanded. 

Thighs — Very short, and well feathered. 

Legs — Very short, feathered to the toes, 
with full, large vulture hocks. 

Toes — Five in number. 

Color of Plumage— Brilliantly white through- 
out. 

Carriage— Low, forward, brisk, and lively. 

Points 

Crest 4 

Muffling 3 

Shape 3 

Leg-feathering 3 

Condition 2 

15 

Disqualifications. 

Any color but white in the plumage, 
crooked crest, bare red face, or absence of 
muffling, deficiency of leg-feathering, or ab- 
sence of vulture hocks, beak any color but 
white, deformity of any kind. 



HOUDANS. 

THE COCK. 

Crest— Composed of hackle feathers, full, 
and well arched, falling back, and right 
and left of comb, clear of the eye, rather 
than over it. 



APPENDIX. 



211 



Comb— Well developed, large, red, and 
branching, broad at base, well indented, 
looking like a mass of coral with antler- 
like brandies, inclining rather backward 
into the crest. 

Beak — Curved, with nostrils wide and 
cavernous, as in Polish, dark born color. 

Eye — Large, full, bright, and lively ; color 
various. 

Wattles— Thin, rather long, neatly rounded, 
and bright red. 

Muffling or Beard — Full and thick under 
beak, and reaching well back in a curve to 
the back of eye. 

Face — Red, the less seen the better. 

Breast— Deep, full, and plump. 

Back — Wide and straight. 

Wings— Moderate, and carried well Up. 

Tail — Moderate, erect, and well sickled. 

Thighs— The shorter the better. 

Legs — Fine in bone, white shaded. 

Toes — Five in number, the fifth curved up- 
wards at back. 

Color — Broken black and white, as evenly 
broken as possible, free from colored 
feathers, which, however, though objec- 
tionable, are not a disqualification. 

Carriage — Lively, brisk, well set up, and 
spirited. 

THE HEN. 

Crest— Large, compact, and even, as in 
Polish. 

Comb — Small, branching, and coral-like. 

Eye— Full and bright. 
Wattles — Small, red, and neatly rounded. 

Muffling — Full, forming a thick beard reach- 
ing back to the eye. 

Neck — Rather short, full feathered, and 
arched. 

Breast — Full and deep. 

Back — Wide and straight. 

Wings — Moderate, and carried closely to 
body. 

Tail — Moderate, and fan-like, carried well up. 

Thighs— Short. 

Legs— Fine in bone, white, or shaded in 
color. 

Toes— Five in number, the hind or fifth claw 
curved upwards. 

Color — As in cock. 

Carriage — Brisk and rather upright. 



Points. 

Size 4 

Crest 4 

Symmetry 2 

Plumage 2 

Condition 2 

Five Claws 1 

15 

Disqualifications. 

Absence of crest. Deformity of any kind. 
Main color or ground color other than black 
and white. 



CREVE CCEURS. 



THE COCK. 



Crest — As in the Polish cock, but perfectly 
black ; white feathers a defect, but not i 
disqualification. 

Head— As in Polish cock. 

Comb — Brilliant red, two-horned in shape 
but free from tynes, slightly sprigged at 
base, of good size, showing well in front of 
the crest 

Eye — Full, bright, and very vivacious. 

Deaf-ears — Small and nearly concealed. 

Face — Red, well muffled. 

Wattles— Moderately pendulous, and evenly 
rounded, brilliant red. 

Muffling — Close and thick, running to back 
of eye in a handsome curve. 

Beak — Black, with horn-colored tip, strong 
and well curved, with highly arched 
broad nostrils, as in Polish. 

Neck — Moderate in length, thickly hackled, 
well arched, and carried a little back. 

Breast — Broad and full, carried well forward. 

Back — Wide, perfectly straight, and free 
from deformity. 

Body — Long and square. 

Wings— Closely set, and well clipped up. 

Tail— Full and ample, well sickled, and car- 
ried rather erect. 

TJiighs— Rather short, well set in body. 

Legs— Black or slate ; the shorter the better, 
rather fine in the bone ; free from feathers. 

Carriage — Upright, smart, vivacious, and 
watchful. 

Color — Brilliant black. Red or straw feath- 
ers in the hackle or saddle undesirable, 
but not a disqualification. 



212 



APPENDIX. 



THE HEN. 

Crest— Full and globular, a3 in the Polish 
Black; white feathers objectionable, but 
not a disqualification. 

Head — As in Polish. 

Eye— Pull and bright. 

Deaf -ears— Small, hidden by muffling. 

Muffling— Thick and full, extending well 
back to crest, and forming a thick beard 
under the beak. 

Wattles— Very small and neatly rounded. 

Neck— Thick and arched. 

Breast — Pull, plump, and carried well for- 
ward. 

Body — Square, and carried low. 

Back— Straight and broad. 

Wings — Well clipped up. 

Tail — Large and well expanded. 

Thiglis — Short, and well set into body. 

Legs — Short as possible, free from feathers, 
rather small in bone, slate or black in 
color. 

Carriage— Upright and vivacious. 

Color— Brilliant black ; a brown tinge very 
undesirable. 

Points in Creve Coeurs. 

Size 4 

Crest 3 

Shape and Symmetry 2 

Color 3 

Condition 2 

Comb 1 

15 

Disqualifications in Creve Cozurs. 

Deformity of any kind. Colored feathers 
elsewhere than in crest, neck, or saddle, 
feathered legs, and shanks of any other color 
than black or slate. 



LA FLECHE. 

THE COCK. 

Beak — Black, strong, and curved ; nostrils, 
wide and cavernous, as in Polish, with 
small spot or knob of bright red flesh at 
junction of nostril with beak. 

Comb — Branching and antler-like, like two 
horns pointed straight up, brilliant red. 

Ear-lobes — Large, and as white as possible. 



Head— Long. 

Eye— Bright, large, and watchful. 

Face — Red, and rather bare. 

Wattles— Rati, long, and pendulous, well 
rounded. 

Neck— Long, rather curved, and upright ; 
hackle thick, but rather short. 

Back— Very long and broad, slanting to- 
wards the tail. 

Wings— Long,' and well clipped in. 

Breast— Broad, and rather full. 

Tail — Rather small, and carried low. 

Thighs— Strong, long, and well set into body. 

Legs— Long, strong, and black or slate in 
color. 

Toes— Four. 

Plumage — Close and hard, brilliant metallic 
black. 

Carriage — Very upright, dignified, and 
watchful. 

THE HEN. 

Beak — Black, strong, and curved ; nostrils 
arched, broad, and cavernous. 

Comb— Double-spiked and branching, stand- 
ing well up, or the branches inclining a 
little forward, small. 

Head — Long. 

Eye — Bright and watchful. 

Face — Red, and rather bare. 

Deaf-ear — Small and white. 

Wattles— Red, small, and neatly rounded. 

Neck— Long and straight. 

Back — Broad, and tapering towards the tail. 

Body — Wide and deep. 

Breast — Ver3 r broad. 

Wings — Large, and well clipped up. 

Tail — Small in proportion, but well expand- 
ed, and carried upright. 

Thighs — Long, and well set into body. 

Legs — Long, well boned, black or slaty in 
color. 

Plumage— Brilliant metallic black, close and 
hard. 

Carriage — Upright, dignified, and watchful. 

Points 

Size 5 

Comb 3 

Shape 3 

Condition 3 

Deaf-ear 1 

15 



213 



Disqualifications. 

Plumage any color but black, presence of 
crest, feathered legs, deformity of any kind, 
legs any color but black or dark. 

+-*-* 

BANTAMS. 
GAME BANTAMS. 

GENERAL SHAPE AND COLOR. 

The same as in the corresponding varieties 
of Game Fowls. 

Points in Game Bantams. 

Smallness of Size 2 

, Color 3 

Shape of Head and Neck. . . 2 

" Bodv and Wings. . 2 

Tail" 2 

" Thighs, Legs, and 

Toes 2 

Condition 2 

15 

Disqualifications. 

Cocks above 24 oz. or hens above 20 oz. ; 
adult cocks undubbed, color of legs not uni- 
form in the pen, birds not matching in the 
pen. 



SEBRIGHT BANTAMS. 

GENERAL SHAPE— THE COCK. 

Comb — Double, square in front, fitting close 
and straight on the head, the top covered 
with small points, -with a peak behind 
turning slightly upwards. 

Head— Small, round in front, carried well 
back towards the tail. 

Beak — Short, slightly curved. 

Bye— Full. 

Wattles— Broad, rounded on the lower edge. 

Deaf-ear— Flat. 

Neck — Neat and taper, quite free from 
hackle feathers. 

Breast— Round, full, and carried prominent- 
ly forward. 

Back—Yery short, perfectly free from saddle 
feathers. 

Wings — Ample, the points carried very low, 
almost touching the ground. 



Tail— Square, similar to the hen, free from 
sickle or curved feathers, the feathers 
broadest towards the end. 

Tail Coverts — Straight, round at the end and 
lying close to the sides of the tail. 

ThigJis—Yevy short. 

Legs— Short, slender, and very taper. 

Plumage — Close, perfectly hen-feathered. 

Carriage — Very upright and strutting. 

THE HEN. 

Very similar to the cock. The comb and 
wattles much smaller, and the head neater. 



COLOR OF GOLD-LACED SEBRIGHTS. 

Head, Face, and Wattles — Rich red. 

Deaf -ear— White. 

Plumage — Rich golden yellow, every feather 
laced with rich black, that is, having a 
narrow, even, well-defined rich black edge 
all round the feathers ; the two colors dis- 
tinct, and not shading into each other, the 
lacing of the same "width on the sides as 
on the ends of the feathers. 

Legs— Slaty blue. 

COLOR OP SILVER-LACED SEBRIGHTS. 

Similar to the golden, substituting silvery 
white for the golden yellow ground color. 

Points in Sebrights. 

Plumage most evenly and 

distinctly laced throughout 4 
Purity of Ground Color in 
Silver, and richness and 
clearness of Ground Color 

in Golden 2 

Comb 2 

Tail. 1 

Smallness 2 

Symmetry 3 

Condition, and General Ap- 
pearance 2 

15 

Disqualifications. 

Cocks weighing more than 20 oz. ; hens 
more than 18 oz. 

Cocks having either hackle, saddle or 
sickle feathers. 

Legs of any color except slate blue. 



214 



APPENDIX. 



BLACK AND WHITE BANTAMS. 

GENERAL SHAPE — THE COCK. 

Comb — Double, square in front, close and 
straight on the head, the top covered with 
small points, with a peak behind, turning 
slightly upwards. 

Head— Small, round, and carried well back 
towards the tail. 

Bealc — Short, slightly curved. 

Eye— Prominent. 

Deaf-ear — Flat and even on the surface. 

Wattles — Broad and thin, rounded on the 
lower edge. 

Neck — Very taper, curving well back, so as 
to bring the back of the head towards the 
tail ; hackle full and long, flowing well 
over the shoulders. 

Breast — Round, and carried prominently for- 
ward. 

Back — Very short, saddle feathers long. 

Wings — Ample, the points drooping so as 
nearly to touch the ground, the seconda- 
ries slightly expanded. 

Tail— Full, expanded, well adorned with 
long, curving sickle feathers, carried well 
up toward the back of the head. 

Ihiglis— Snort. 

Legs— Sliort, clean, and taper. 

Carriage — Very upright, proud, and strut- 
ting. 



Comb — Same shape as that of cock, but very 
much smaller. 

Head— Small, round, and neat. 

Beak — Small. 

Eye — Full and quick. 

Deaf-ear — Flat, and even on the surface. 

Wattles— Small. 

Neck — Short and taper, carried well back. 

Breast—, Round and prominent. 

Back — Short. 

Wings — Ample, points drooping. 

Tail — Full, expanded, carried rather up- 
right. 

TJiiglis— Short. 

Legs— Short, clean and taper. 

Carriage— Upright and strutting. 

COLOR OP BLACK BANTAMS. 

Comb, Face, and Wattles — Rich bright red. 
Beak— Dark horn color, or black. 



Deaf-ear — Pure white. 

Plumage — Rich black throughout. 

Legs — Black, or very dark leaden blue. 

COLOR OP WHITE BANTAMS. 

Comb, Face, and Wattles — Rich scarlet red. 

Beak— White. 

Deaf-ear — Pure white. 

Plumage— Pure white, as free from yellow 

tinge as possible. 
Legs — White, with a slight pink tinge on the 

back, and betwixt the scales. 

Points in Black or White Bantams. 

Purity of White or richness 

of black 3 

Smallness 3 4 

Symmetry 3 

Comb 2 

Deaf-ear 2 

Condition, and General Ap- 
pearance 2 

15 

Disq notifications. 

Cocks more than 20 oz., or hens more than 
18 oz. 

Legs of black bantams not black or dark 
leaden blue. 

Legs of white bantams of any other color 
except white. 

■ ♦>-♦ 

TURKEYS. 

Head and Face — Very bright and rich in 

color. 
Eyes — Bright and clear. 
Body — Long and deep. 
Wings — Powerful, and well carried. 
Breast — Broad, very long, and perfectly 

straight. 
Thiglis — Muscular, straight, and strong. 
Legs—Very strong, and perfectly straight. 
Plumage — Sound, hard, and glossy. 
Color — Rich, the birds matching in the pen. 

Points. 

Size 6 

Symmetry 4 

Richness of Color, and Match- 
ing in the pen 3 

Condition 2 

15 



215 



Disqualifications. 

Crooked breasts, backs, or legs, or de- 
formity in any part. 

♦♦» 

DUCKS. 
AYLESBURY. 

GENERAL SHAPE AND COLOR. 

Bill — Long and broad ; wben viewed side- 
ways, nearly straight from tbe top of the 
head to the tip of the bill ; of a delicate 
pale flesh color, perfectly free from black 
or dark marks. 

Head — Long and fine. 

Neck — Long, slender, and gracefully curved. 

Body — Long and deep. 

Back — Long and broad. 

Wings — Strong, carried well up, and not 
drooping. 

Tail— Feathers stiff and hard, with hard 
curled feathers in the drake. 

Thighs— Short. 

Legs — Short and strong ; bright light orange 
color. 

Plumage — Pure white throughout. 

Points in Aylesbury Ducks. 

Purity of Color and Shape of 

Bill 3 

Size 4 

Symmetry 3 

Purity of Color in Plumage.. 3 
Condition 2 

15 

Disqualifications. 

Birds so fat as to be down behind, bills 
deep yellow, or marked with black, plumage 
of any color except white. 



ROUEN DUCKS. 

GENERAL SHAPE AND COLOR — THE DRAKE. 

Bill — Long, broad, and rather wider at the 
tip than at the base ; when viewed side- 
Ways, nearly straight from the crown of 
the head to the tip of the bill ; the longer 
the better. Color, greenish yellow, with- 
out any other color except the black bean 
at the tip. 



Head— Long and fine ; rich lustrous green. 

Eye — Dark hazel. 

Neck — Long, slender, and neatly curved ; 
color, the same lustrous green as the head, 
with a distinct white ring on the lower 
part not quite meeting at the back. 

Breast — Broad and deep ; the front part very 
rich purplish brown, or claret color; free 
from gray feathers, the claret color ex- 
tending as far as possible towards the legs. 

Back — Long; higher part ashy gray mixed 
with green, becoming a rich, lustrous 
green on the lower part and rump. 

Shoulder Coverts — Gray, finely streaked with 
waving brown lines. 

Wings — Grayish brown, mixed with green, 
with abroad ribbon mark of purple, 
with metallic reflections of blue and 
green, and edged with white ; the 
two colors quite distinct. 
" Flight leathers — Dark, dusky brown, 
quite free from white. 
Uhderpart of Body and Sides — Beautiful gray, 
becoming lighter gray near the vent, and 
ending in solid black under the tail. 

Tail — Feathers hard and stiff; dark ashy 
brown, the outer web in old birds edged 
with white. 

Tail Coverts — Curled feathers hard and well 
curled ; black, with very rich purple re- 
flections. 

Legs and Feel — Orange, with a tinge of 
brown. 



Bill — Broad, long, and somewhat flat ; 
brownish orange, with a dark blotch on 
the upper part. 

Head— Long and fine ; deep brown, with two 
light pale brown stripes on each side from 
the bill past the eye. 

Neck— Long, slender, and neatly curved ; 
light brown, penciled with darker brown, 
and quite free from the least appearance 
of a white ring. 

Breast, Underpart of Body, and Sides— Gray- 
ish brown, each feather marked distinctly 
with a rich dark brown penciling. 

Back— Long; light brown, richly marked 
with green. 

Wings — Grayish brown, mixed with green, 
with a broad riband mark of rich 



216 



APPENDIX. 



purple, edged with white, the two 
colors distinct. 
" Flight Featliers—Brown, perfectly free 
from white. 
Tail Coverts — Brown, beautifully penciled 
with broad distinct penciling of dark 
greenish brown. 
Tail— Light brown, with distinct broad wavy 

penciling of dark greenish brown. 
Legs — Orange, or brown and orange. 

Points in Rouen Bucks. 

Shape and Color of Bill 3 

Size 4 

Color of Plumage 3 

Symmetry 3 

Condition 2 

15 

Disqualifications. 

Bills clear yellow, dark green, blue or lead 
color ; any white in the flight feathers of 
either sex ; birds so fat as to be down behind. 



BLACK EAST INDIAN. 

GENERAL SHAPE AND COLOR. 

Shape — The entire form remarkably slender, 
neat, and graceful. 

Size — The smaller the better. 

Plumage— Rich lustrous black, with a bril- 
liant velvety green tint throughout ; per- 
fectly free from white or brown feathers 
on any part whatever. 

Bill of the Drake — Very dark yellowish green , 
without spot or blemish. 

Bill of the Duck— Very dark. 

Leg*— Dark. 

Points in Black East Indian Ducks. 

Bill 2 

Symmetry, Neatness, and El- 
egance of Form 3 

Richness of Plumage 4 

Smallness of Size 4 

Condition 2 

15 
Disqualifications. 
White in any part of the plumage. 



CALL DUCKS. 

Shape — The entire form very short ; round 



and compact, with very full, round, high 
forehead, and short broad bill. 
Size— The smaller the better. 
Color — In the gray variety — bill, legs, and 
plumage the same as in the Rouen. 
" In the white variety — bill bright, 
clear, unspotted yellow. 
Plumage — Pure white. 
Legs— Bright orange. 

Points in Call Ducks.. 

Smallness of Size 5 

Bill and Stop of the Forehead 2 
Symmetry and Compactness 

of Shape 3 

Color of Plumage 3 

Condition 2 

15 

Disqualifications in Gray Call Ducks. 

White ring on the neck of the duck ; 
white flight feathers in either sex. 

Disqualifications in White Call Ducks. 

Colored feathers in any part of the 
plumage ; bills of any color except yellow. 



GEESE. 
TOULOUSE. 

Carriage — Tall and erect ; bodies nearly 

touching the ground. 
Color — Breast and body, light gray ; back, 

dark gray ; neck, darker gray than back ; 

wings and belly, shading off" to white, 

though but little white visible. 
Billr- Pale flesh color. 
Legs and Feet— Deep orange, inclined to red. 



EMBDEN. 

Plumage — Uniformly pure white. 
Bill— Flesh color. 
Legs and Feet— Orange. 

Points in Oeese. 

Size and Weight 6 

Symmetry 4 

Color 3 

Condition 2 



15 



TERMS AND TECHNICALITIES. 



As we have given elsewhere the points of the fowl, we propose to finish up our work by 
explaining the technical terms used in the poultry yard, and with which the new beginner 
or novice is not familiar : 

Brood. — Offspring or hatch of chickens. 

Broody. — Inclined to sit or incubate. 

Cavunculated. — Covered with fleshy protuberances like a turkey-cock's head and neck, 
or the head of a Musk drake. 

Casque. — The helmet-like fleshy protuberance or comb of the Guinea fowl. 

Clutch. — A number of eggs sat upon by a fowl, or the number of chickens brought off. 

Clung. — Shrunk and stringy, applied to flesh which has never been property fattened, or 
which has fallen away after being fat. 

Crest. — The tuft of feathers which some fowls, like the Polands, have upon their heads. 

Deaf-ear. — A name improperly applied to the true ear of the fowl. A shallow hole, or 
depression, with a hair-like covering. 

Dubbing. — Trimming off the combs and wattles of game fowls, for fighting, or for ex- 
hibition. 

Dunghills. — Common Fowls; those of mixed breeds, not crossed with definite purpose, 
or those of a breed degenerated. 

Fluff. — Soft downy feathers in masses upon certain parts of fowls — as upon the rumps 
and thighs of Cochins. 

Gills.— The flap that hangs below the beak. 

Hackle. — Long shining feathers on the neck of the cock or hen. 

Molting. — Periodical shedding and renewal of feathers. 

Pea-comb. — A triple comb — a principal comb with a small one on each side. 

Poult. — A young turkey, or other gallinaceous fowl, before it takes on the full plumage 
of a mature bird. 

Primaries. — The largest feathers on the wing. 

Rose-comb. — A full, broad, flat comb, called also " double comb." 

Secondaries. — Quills growing on the second bone of the wing. 

Top-knot. — See crest. 

Vulture Hocked. — Having the feathers upon the thigh project backward below and 
beyond the " hock " joints. 

Wattles. — The fleshy excrescence that grows under the throat of a cock or turkey. 

Wing-Coverts. — Feathers covering part of the fore-arm of the fowl. 



INDEX. 



PAGE. 

Appendix. 191 

Apoplexy 97 

Artificial Hatching 163 

— hen, Section of a portable 166 

— mother. Graves' 166,167 

— mothers 156, 165 

— — may be used without the incubator 165 

Aylesbury Drake 80 

— Ducks 82 

Bantam cock, Fertile 169 

— hen, Barren full feathered 168 

Bantams, Black 68 

— Cochin 67 

— Color of black 214 

Golden-laced Sebrights 213 

—Silver-laced.... 213 

— White 214 

— Disqualifications in 213 

— — — Black and White 214 

— Duck-wing 55 

— — game 57 

— Golden Sebright 68 

— History, Etc 67 

— Japanese 69 

— Pekin 68 

— Points in Black and White 214 

— — —Game... 213 

—Sebright 213 

— Shape of cock of Black and White 214 

— — — hen of Black and White 214 

— Silver Sebright 68 

— The cock of the Sebright 213 

— Vulture Hock in Booted 15 

— White 68 

Black-breasted Game 57 

— Javas 70 

— red Games 53 

— Rot 97 

— Spanish, History and Characteristics 58 

Bolton Gays, History and Characteristics 58 

Bones, Fractures of the 103 

Boxing poultry for market 27 

Brahma and White Dorking Cross 16 

— hen. Eggs to set under a 18 

Brah mas as egg-producers 23 

— Characteristics of 12, 14, 30 

— Color in Cocks of Light 15 

— — of Cock of Light 194 

— — — — —Penciled 194 

— — —Hen of Light 196 

— — — - -Penciled 194 



PAGE. 
Brahmas, Dark 32 

— - and Light 13 

— formarket 23 

— General Shape 194 

— Henstoacock 11 

— History of 30 

— Importance of size 12 

— Leland's preference 9 

— Light 34 

— Penciling 13 

— Points in 196 

— Shape of head and comb 13 

— Thecock 194 

— Thehen 194 

Breed for Market, The best 23 

Breeds of Fowls— History, Characteristics, Etc.. . 30 

Breeding and Mating 9 

— for Size 14 

— Influence upon Fancy Points 12 

— In-and-in 15 

Brown-Red Games 57 

Buff Cochins— Hens to a Cock 11 

Caponizing Fowls 141 

Capons— Age to Keep 143 

— Implements used 145 

— Operating table 146 

— Treatment of Windy Swelling in 144 

— Usefulness of 147 

Catarrh in Chickens 97 

Chicken Cholera.... 98 

— Coop and Wire Run 138 

— Coops 127,128 

— House— Exterior 127 

Chickens by Artificial Means, Rearing 165 

— Catarrh in 97 

— Foodfor 18 

— Hatching and Rearing Artificially 153 

— in Wooden Casks, Hatching 154 

— Making Capons before letting them run 144 

— not brought into the Account 183 

— TogetEarly , 165 

Chittagongs, History and Characteristics of 34 

Cholera 98 

Clutches doubled up 188 

Coal cheaper fuel than food 183 

Cochin Bantams 67, 68 

— China fowls 34 

— hen, Eggs to set under a 17 

Cochins, as egg-producers 23 

— Buffand White 34,35 

— Color of Cock and Hen of Black 194 



220 



PAGE. 

Cochins, color of Cock and Hen of Buff. 192 

— - - HenofButf '. 192 

— — — Cock of Cinnamon 193 

— — — Hen of Cinnamon 193 

— — — Cock of Grouse or Partridge 193 

— — — Henof Grouse 194 

— — — Cock of Lemon 192 

— — — Hen of Lemon 192 

— — - - of Partridge 19 4 

— — — Cock of Silver Buff 192 

— — - Hen of Silver Buff 192 

— — — Cock of Silver Cinnamon 193 

— — — Hen of Silver Cinnamon 193 

— - — Cock and Hen of White 194 

— Disqualifications in White and Black 194 

— — — Buff, Lemon, Silver Buff, Silver Cinna- 

mon and Cinnamon 193 

— — — Grouse or Partridge 194 

— for market > 23 

— General shape 191 

— Lemon 36 

— Partridge 37 

— Points in Grouse or Partridge 194 

— — — White andBlack 194 

— Shape of the cock 191 

— — — —hen 191 

— Silver Buffs 86 

— —Cinnamons 30 

— Value of points in Buff, Lemon, Silver Buff, 

Silver Cinnamon and Cinnamon 193 

— Vulture-hocked..., 15 

Cocks and hens for breeding 10 

— Best age for breeding 12 

— Changing 9 

Combs, Frost-bitten 99 

Coop, Barrel 130 

— Close chicken 130 

— Pen 129 

— Pent or lean-to 129 

— Kat-proof 129 

— Tent 129 

Coops, Chicken 128 

Creve-Cceurs, A pair 62 

— — Disqualifications in 212 

— — Hens to a cock 11 

— — History and Characteristics 63 

— -- Points in 212 

— — The cock 211 

— — —hen 212 

Crisp-feathered fowls 41 

Crossing the breed 16 

Crows 175 

— How to trap 175 

Diphtheria in fowls 98 

Dominique cock 66 

— Games 56 

Dominiques. History and Characteristics of 66 

Dorking He.), Eggs to set under a 17 

— Cock, White 43 

— SilverGray 43 

— White Surrey 42 

Dorkings, A pair of Gray 44 

— as Egg-producers 23 

— Black breed of 45 

— Characteristics of 42 

— Color of Silver Gray cock 198 

— - - — —hen 198 

— Colored 199 

— Dark-colored, hardiest 45 

— Disqualifications 199 

— — in Colored ; 199 



PAGE- 
Dorkings, Disqualifications in White 199 

— Fawn-colored 45 

— for market 23 

— General shape 198 

— Inter-breeding 44 

— Points in Silver Gray 199 

— — -White 199 

— The Cock 198 

Hen 198 

— White 199 

Drake, Aylesbury 80 

— Bouen 83 

Drinking fountains 135 

Ducklings, Best mode of rearing 79 

— Thefirstfood 80 

Duck tent house 138 

Duck-wing Bantams 55 

— — games 54,55 

— house, Bustic 137 

Ducks as egg producers 79 

— Aylesbury 82 

— Black Cayuga 85 

— Can they be kept with profit? 79 

— Cayuga 84 

— Crested 83,86 

— Contrivance for feeding 136 

— Disqualifications in 215 

— — — Black East Indian 216 

Gray Call 216 

— Rouen 216 

— White Call 216 

— Feed-box for 136 

— in China, Artificial hatching of 163 

— Labrador 86 

— Musk or Brazilian 83, 85 

— Personal experience with 81 

— Points and shape in Call 216 

— — in Aylesbury 215 

— Black East Indian.! 216 

— — — Bouen 216 

— Shape and color of Aylesbury 215 

— Black East Indian 216 

— Rouen 215 

— Rouen 83 

— Varieties and management 79 

— White and Black Poland 86 

— —Call 83 

— with hens, Rearing 82 

— Why useful 80 

Dust baths 98 

Dysentery in fowls 99 

Earl Derby Games 52 

Egg, Air-bag of 150 

— Albumen of the 149 

— Anatomy of 149 

— bound fowls 99 

— Carrier, Champion 178, 179 

— — Suspension 179 

— case, Canvas-covered 178 

— — Common transportation 178 

— producers, The best 23 

— Progress of formations 150 

— Rudimental 149 

— shell 150 

— undergoes in hatching, Changes an 19 

— Whiteof 151 

— Yolk of rudimental 149 

Eggs as a commercial commodity 181 

— Cash value of the product 181 

— consumed in Great Britain 181 

— — — NewYorkcity 181 

— — —Paris i8i 



221 



PAGE. 
Eggs, Double-yolked 150 

— Egyptian mode of hatching 154 

— Fertility of 21 

— for transportation, Packing 175 

— French mode of preserving 180 

— How to increase the supply 182 

— Manner of packing 176, 177 

— Mode of putting down 180 

— Packingin salt , 180 

— Preserving 179 

— Reasons for packing large end down . 176 

— To ascertain unfertile 21 

— To produce 8 

— — put undeaa hen, Number of 17 

— Weightof 151 

English Standard of Excellence 191 

Farmer Fosy's fowls 70 

" Farmers " Breed for Profit 23 

Feed-box for ducks 136 

Feeding hopper, A perfect 131 

— - Cheap 132, 133 

— —Double 133 

— —Scotch 131 

— — Standard, self 132 

— — Stool 132, 133 

— hoppers and troughs 130 

— houses 24 

— Troughs 25, 134 

Food and Feeding, The proper 21 

— for Fattening fowls 25 

Fountain, Barrel 135 

— Bottle 135 

— Ordinary Poultry 135 

— Winterwater 136 

Fowl, Points of a 10 

Fowls are fed, How 188 

— Best breeds to be chosen 9 

— — winter layers 23 

— — drink for fattening 25 

— Caponizing 141, 147 

t- Crop-bound 98 

— Curling in the toes of 98 

— Desirable for Capons 141 

— Different formation of 143 

— Diphtherial 98 

— Dustbathsfor 99 

— Dysentery in 99 

— Eatingtheir feathers ; 99 

— Egg-bound ; 99 

— Enlargement of liver and gall 99 

— Farmer's Breed 23 

— Food and feeding 21 

— for Exhibition, Proper food for 22 

— — market and eggs 23 

— French mode of killing 26 

— Gapes in 100 

— General management 7 

— Giving too much food 7 

— Hawk, Colored 66 

— Howto place 142 

— in coops, Fattening 25 

— — Villages and Cities 5 

— — winter, Management of 9 

— Killing and dressing 26 

— Deg weakness 101 

— Molting 103 

— not allowed to leave the coops in rainy 

weather 189 

— —.perfectly caponized 143 

— Over-crowding 7 

— Profits of a year's business in South America. 189 



PAGE. 

Fowls, Proper care and keeping 7 

— Rheumatism in 101 

— Roup in 101 

— Sulphurfor 104 

— To exterminate lice 102 

— — the acre, Number of 8 

— When killing time comes.... 189 

— Whitecombin 102 

— with scurvy legs 102 

— Varietiesof ,. 30 

— Vertigo in „ 102 

— Vulture-hocked 15 

— Pip in 101 

Fractures of the bones 103 

French breeds for market 23 

— —of fowls 61 

— Frizzled fowls 41 

Fumigation 184 

Game Bantams, Duck-wing 57 

— Birchen Yellow 203 

— Black '. 204 

— — breasted Red 201 

— — — —cock 201 

— Brown-Red... 202 

— — —cock 202 

— Color of cock of Birchen Yellow 203 

— — — — -Pile 204 

— — — Black -breasted red hen 202 

— — — hen of Birchen Yellow 204 

— — — — — Brown Red 204 

— — — — —Pile 204 

— — — — — Silver Duck-wing 203 

— Fowls, Characteristics.... 52 

— — Generalshape 200 

— — Hensto acock 11 

— Ginger Red cock 20 

Hen 202 

— Pointsin 204 

— The Cock 200 

— The hen 201 

— Silver Duck-Wing 203 

— Cock 203 

— White 204 

— Yellow Duck-Wing Cock 203 

— Hen 203 

Games, Black-breasted 57 

Red 53 

— Brown-red 57 

— Earl Derby 53 

— Dominique 56 

— Duck-Wing 54 

— Georgian.. 56 

— Indian 56 

— Malay 56 

— Pair of Earl Derby 52 

— Pile 58 

— RedDerby 54 

— SalmonPile 55 

— Silver Gray 54 

— Spanish 56 

— Yellow Duck-Wing 55 

Gapes in fowls 100 

Geese, African 93 

— American Wild 89,90 

— Diseases of 88 

— Embden 216 

— — orBremen 91,9? 

— for Christmas 28 

— Gray-leg 93 

— Food and fattening 90 

— Houses 87 



222 



PAGE. 

Geese, Incubation 87 

— Management and Breeds 87 

— Nests for hatching 87 

— Points in 216 

— Siberian 94 

— Toulouse 93, 94, 216 

Georgian Game 56 

Goose, Barnacle 96 

— Brant 96 

— Egyptian 95 

— White Chinese 95 

Goslings, Diseases of 83 

— Food for 88 

— Management of 88 

Gout or swelled legs 101 

Gray Dorkings, A Pair of 44 

— — henstoacock 11 

Guelders, Black 65 

— Cuckoo 65 

— History and Characteristics of 65 

— Pairof 64 

— White 65 

Hamburg, Black 48 

— as egg producers 23 

Hamburgs, Black 208 

— Characteristics of 45 

— Color of cock of Golden Penciled 205 

— - —Spangled 206 

— — — — — Silver-Spangled 207 

— — — hen of Golden Penciled 205 

— — —Spangled 206 

— — — — —Silver-Spangled 207 

— Disqualifications in Black 208 

— — — Penciled 206 

— — — — Spangled 208 

— General shape 204 

— Gulden-Penciled 205 

— — Spangled 46, 43 

— henstoacock 11 

Hamburgs, Penciled 45 

— Points in Black 208 

— — — cocks of Penciled 206 

— — — Spangled cocks 208 

— — — hens of Penciled 206 

— — — Spangled hens 208 

— Silver Penciled 205 

— — Spangled 46,47 

— Thecock 204 

— —hen 205 

Hawks 175 

— How to get ri I of 175 

Hen House, Charl<^ Mount's .' 118 

— Treatment after she hr.s hatched 185 

Hens, A supply of 182 

— and incubation, Sitting 17 

— Close-sitting IS 

— consuming Grasshoppers 185 

— on the perch 185 

— to a cock, Number of 11 

— — eight cocks. Two hundred 187 

— — set, The proper 17 

Hennery, A model 110 

— and Runways, Position of 8 

— f or 200 to 250 fowls 121 

— Leland's 184 

— Plan of a small double 113 

Houdans as Eggs-producers 23 

— henstoacock 11 

— History and Characteristics 61 

— Points 211 

— Thecock 210 



PAG3. 

Houdans, the hen 211 

Incubation 17 

— by machinery, The Period of 163 

— Factsabout 151 

— Number of days of 18 

— Process of 18, 152 

Incubator, Brindley's 156 

— Col. Stuart Wortley's 158 

— F. H. Schoeder's 157 

— Geyelin's 154 

— Graves' 160 

— M. Carbonnier's 155 

— The American 159 

Incubators .^ 163 

Indian Games 7. 56 

Japanese Bantams 69 

Javas, History, Etc., of Black 70 

Jersey Blues, History, Etc 60 

Killing and dressing fowls 26 

LaFleche, Disqualifications in 213 

— — History and Characteristics of 04 

— - Points of 212 

— — The cock 212 

— hen 212 

— — fowls. A pair of 63 

Land proportionate to stock of hens 182 

Leg weakness 101 

Leghorns, A pair of 51 

— as egg producers 23 

— Characteristics of 51 

Leland's Experience, Warren 8 

Lice, Tansy for 103 

— To exterminate 102 

Liver and gall, Enlargement 99 

Malay Games 56 

Malays, Characteristics of 40 

— Color of thecock 197 

— hen 197 

— Disqual ifications in 197 

— General shape 190 

— Points in 197 

— Thecock 196 

— — hen 197 

— White 197 

Marking boxes 28 

Mink, Ravages and peculiarities of the 172 

— trap 172 

Minks 171 

— suck eggs 173 

Molting fowls 103 

Mount's hen-house 118 

Nest, Tight wooden box 140 

— Turkey 139 

Nests, Best arrangement for 139 

— for laying hens 139 

Ovariu m, The 149 

Packing boxes, A word about 177 

— poultry for market 27 

Pekin Bantams 68 

Perches for fowls 25 

Pile Game 58 

Pip 101 

Plymouth Rocks, History, Etc 60 

Poland cock, Silver-Spangled i~ 

— hen, Silver-Spangled 48 

Polandsas egg-producers , 23 

— Black 50 

— Blue 51 

— Characteristics of 48 

— Cuckoo 51 

— Golden-Spangled 50 



223 



PAGE. 

Polanda, Gray 51 

— Henstoacock. 11 

— Pair of Golden-Spangled 49 

— White-crested Black 50 

— Silver-Spangled '. 49 

— White-crested Black 51 

White 51 

Polish, Color of cock of Golden-Spangled 209 

_ hen of Golden-Spangled 209 

— White-crested Black 209 

— Disqualifications in White-crested Black 209 

— Points in White-crested Black 209 

— — of Silver-Spangled 210 

— Shapeof cock 203 

— hen 20S 

Poultry, A good supply of food for 182 

— appliances 127 

— Diseases of 97 

— enemies 170 

— farm, A South American 187 

— Fattening for market 24 

— for market, Boxing 27 

— — —Packing 27 

— — New York market, Dressing 26 

— — Philadelphia market, Dressing 26 

— — the table. Purchasing 28 

— fountain, Ordinary 135 

— house and yards, Van Winkle's 110 

— — Brown's 107,108 

Cheap 115,116,120 

— — Fancy 124,125 

— — for three distinct breeds Ill 

—100 fowls 119 

— — — — —Plan of 112 

— — — 30 fowls, Plan of 105 

— — Hawley's 123 

— — Interior view of Van Winkle's Ill 

Octagon 116,117 

— — Octagonal 123, 124 

— — Poor Man's 106 

— —Rhode Island 113 

— — Rustic 106 

— — Van Nuxen's 116 

— —Virginia 114,115 

— houses in South America 188 

— — yards and runs 105 

— How to judge the age of 29 

— in winter, Care of 184 

— — — Topreserve 29 

— kept by the thousand 187 

— meat.Costof 185 

— Preparing for market 24 

— Purchasing undrawn 29 

— raising— Common ideas erroneous 186 

— rearing on a large scale 187 

— should not run at large before killing 25 

.. Tonicfor 103 

-- To prevent vermin on 170 

— yard and plan 122 

Prefatory and Introductory 5 

Premium birds do not produce the best chicks 12 

Ptarmigan fowls, Vulture-hock in 15 

Pullets, To Caponize lis 

Purchasing poultry for the table 28 

Rheumatism 101 

Rouen Drake 81 

Roup 101 

Salmon Pile Games 55 

Scrai-ta-ooks, Vulture-hocks necessary in 15 

Scurvy legs 102 

Setting Hens 17 



PAGE. 

Sexual Variations of plumage 167 

Shanghae fowls 35 

Shanghaes, History and Characteristics of 38 

— The White 39 

Silky fowls, A pair of 69 

— — History, Etc 69 

Silver-Gray Dorking 43 

— —Games 54 

— Sebright Bantams 67, 68 

Skunk, Destructiveness of 173 

Skunks 171 

Spanish, Ancona 60 

— Black.. 58 

— Blue..^ 60 

— Disqualifications in cocks 200 

— — —hens 200 

— Fowl, Points in 200 

— Games 56 

— General shape 199 

— Gray 60 

— Henstoacock 11 

— Red-faced black 60 

— Thecock 199 

— —hen 200 

— White 59 

Starting in the business 7 

Storing Grain for chickens 188 

Sulphur for fowls 104 

Sultans, Points of 210 

— Thecock 210 

— —hen 210 

Terms and Technicalities 217 

Testicles, danger of bursting 143 

— when found large 143 

To fatten turkeys 73 

Trap, Barrel skunk 173 

— Box or barrel 171 

— Common box 170 

— — steel 170 

— for skunks— How to bait 173 

— Geyelin's Vermin 174 

— Hungerford's skunk 173 

— Miles' Vermin 174 

— Settingand baiting m 

Turkey, A wild 75 

— Bronzed and Black 76 

— Crested 77 

— The Domestic 76 

— Portrait of a Bronze 74 

— house and nest 134 

Wild 76 

— — White 76 

Turkeys, Breeds and Management 71 

— Disqualifications 215 

— Hatching 71 

— Peculiarities of 71 

— Pointsin 214 

— Raising...-. 71, 186 

— To fatten 73 

— — prepare food for young 72 

— Rearing 71 

— The critical period 72 

— Treatment of young 72 

Weasel 171 

White comb 102 

— faced Black Spanish and White Dorking Cross 16 

— Deghorns— Hens to a cock 11 

— Surrey Dorkings 42 

Vertigo 102 

Vulture Hocks 15 

Vulture Hocked Birds 38 



